Copyright

This document is Copyright © 2023 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors are
listed below. You may distribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU General
Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative
Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), version 4.0 or later.
All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Contributors
To this edition
Jean Hollis Weber Kees Kriek Tsvetelina Georgieva
Antonio Fernández Olivier Hallot

To previous editions
Jean Hollis Weber Toni Blackwelder Kees Kriek
Rafael Lima Randolph Gamo Jenna Sargent
Dante Legaspi Felipe Viggiano Pulkit Krishna
Colleen Hayes John A Smith Peter Schofield
Bruce Byfield Gillian Polack Cathy Crumbley
Hazel Russman Leo Moons David Blymire
Jeremy Cartwright John M. Długosz Barbara Duprey
Jamie Eby Ron Faile Jr. Gary Schnabl
Klaus-Jürgen Weghorn Rafael Atias Shravani Bellapukonda

Feedback
Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to the Documentation Team’s
forum at https://community.documentfoundation.org/c/documentation/loguides/ (registration is
required) or send an email to: [email protected]. Emails sent to the
forum are moderated.

Note
Everything you send to a forum, including your email address and any other personal
information that is written in the message, is publicly archived and cannot be deleted.

Publication date and software version

Published February 2023. Based on LibreOffice 7.5 Community.
Other versions of LibreOffice may differ in appearance and functionality.

Documentation for LibreOffice is available at https://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/

Contents
Copyright....................................................................................................................................2
Preface............................................................................................................................. 9
Who is this book for?................................................................................................................10
What’s in this book?..................................................................................................................10
Minimum requirements for using LibreOffice............................................................................10
How to get LibreOffice..............................................................................................................10
Installing LibreOffice.................................................................................................................11
Setting up and customizing LibreOffice....................................................................................11
Extensions and add-ons...........................................................................................................11
Where to get more help............................................................................................................11
What you see may be different.................................................................................................13
Using LibreOffice on macOS....................................................................................................14
Frequently asked questions......................................................................................................14
What’s new in LibreOffice Writer 7.5 Community?...................................................................15
Chapter 1, Introducing Writer....................................................................................... 16
What is Writer?.........................................................................................................................17
Parts of the main Writer window...............................................................................................17
Context (right-click) menus.......................................................................................................26
Dialogs......................................................................................................................................26
Document views.......................................................................................................................26
Starting a new document..........................................................................................................27
Opening an existing document.................................................................................................29
Saving a document...................................................................................................................30
Using password protection and OpenPGP encryption.............................................................32
Opening and saving files on remote servers............................................................................34
Moving quickly through a document.........................................................................................34
Undoing and redoing changes..................................................................................................38
Displaying multiple views of a document..................................................................................38
Reloading a document..............................................................................................................39
Closing a document..................................................................................................................39
Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics..........................................................................40
Introduction...............................................................................................................................41
Selecting text............................................................................................................................41
Cutting, copying, and pasting text............................................................................................43
Finding and replacing text.........................................................................................................43
Inserting special characters......................................................................................................45
Checking spelling and grammar...............................................................................................49
Using Language Tool................................................................................................................54
Using synonyms and the thesaurus.........................................................................................54
Hyphenating words...................................................................................................................56
Using AutoCorrect.....................................................................................................................58
Using Word Completion............................................................................................................59

LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide | 3

 Using AutoText..........................................................................................................................60
Changing the case of selected text..........................................................................................62
Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced.....................................................................63
Introduction...............................................................................................................................64
Using built-in language tools....................................................................................................64
Advanced find and replace techniques.....................................................................................67
Tracking changes to a document..............................................................................................70
Adding other comments............................................................................................................75
Using footnotes and endnotes..................................................................................................76
Linking to another part of a document......................................................................................78
Rearranging headings and text using the Navigator................................................................79
Outline folding...........................................................................................................................80
Inserting material from other documents..................................................................................81
Line numbering.........................................................................................................................81
Chapter 4, Formatting Text............................................................................................84
Introduction...............................................................................................................................85
Formatting paragraphs using styles.........................................................................................86
Formatting paragraphs directly.................................................................................................86
Formatting characters using styles...........................................................................................95
Formatting characters directly..................................................................................................95
Formatting lists using styles....................................................................................................100
Formatting lists directly...........................................................................................................101
Autoformatting........................................................................................................................103
Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics........................................................................106
Introduction.............................................................................................................................107
Setting up basic page layout using styles...............................................................................107
Changing page margins..........................................................................................................108
Inserting page breaks.............................................................................................................110
Creating headers and footers.................................................................................................112
Numbering pages....................................................................................................................115
Defining a different first page for a document.........................................................................120
Formatting footnotes and endnotes........................................................................................123
Inserting column and line breaks............................................................................................124
Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced...................................................................125
Introduction.............................................................................................................................126
Choosing a layout method......................................................................................................126
Using columns to define the page layout................................................................................127
Using frames for page layout..................................................................................................128
Using tables for page layout...................................................................................................133
Using sections for page layout...............................................................................................135
Changing page orientation within a document.......................................................................142
Defining borders and backgrounds.........................................................................................147
Using page line-spacing for printing.......................................................................................151

4 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing....................................................153
Quick printing..........................................................................................................................154
Controlling printing using the Print dialog...............................................................................154
Printing in black and white on a color printer..........................................................................161
Previewing pages before printing...........................................................................................162
Printing envelopes..................................................................................................................163
Printing labels.........................................................................................................................165
Exporting to PDF....................................................................................................................165
Exporting to EPUB format.......................................................................................................172
Exporting to other formats......................................................................................................173
Emailing Writer documents.....................................................................................................174
Digital signing of documents...................................................................................................174
Removing personal data.........................................................................................................177
Redaction................................................................................................................................177
Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles................................................................................179
What are styles?.....................................................................................................................180
The Styles deck in the Sidebar...............................................................................................180
Applying styles........................................................................................................................181
Creating and modifying styles................................................................................................192
Deleting styles........................................................................................................................195
Example: creating and modifying paragraph styles................................................................196
Using paragraph styles to define a hierarchy of headings......................................................198
Chapter 9, Working with Styles..................................................................................204
Introduction.............................................................................................................................205
Creating custom (new) styles.................................................................................................205
Working with paragraph styles................................................................................................207
Working with character styles.................................................................................................218
Working with frame styles.......................................................................................................219
Working with page styles........................................................................................................221
Working with list styles............................................................................................................223
Using the Style Inspector........................................................................................................226
Chapter 10, Working with Templates.........................................................................228
Introduction.............................................................................................................................229
Creating a document from a template....................................................................................229
Creating a template................................................................................................................231
Adding templates obtained from other sources......................................................................232
Editing a template...................................................................................................................234
Changing the template assigned to a document....................................................................235
Setting a default template.......................................................................................................236
Organizing templates..............................................................................................................237
Other ways to manage templates...........................................................................................239
Chapter 11, Images and Graphics..............................................................................240
Introduction.............................................................................................................................241

LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide | 5

 Creating and editing images...................................................................................................241
Adding images to a document................................................................................................242
Positioning images within the text..........................................................................................246
Adding captions to images......................................................................................................251
Modifying images....................................................................................................................254
Using Writer’s drawing tools...................................................................................................261
Creating an image map..........................................................................................................264
Managing the LibreOffice Gallery...........................................................................................266
Using Fontwork.......................................................................................................................268
Chapter 12, Lists..........................................................................................................273
Introduction.............................................................................................................................274
Types of list.............................................................................................................................274
Combining list and paragraph styles......................................................................................276
Nesting lists............................................................................................................................277
Outlining with paragraph styles..............................................................................................278
Applying list styles..................................................................................................................279
Naming list styles....................................................................................................................280
Formatting list styles...............................................................................................................280
Chapter 13, Tables....................................................................................................... 293
Introduction.............................................................................................................................294
Tools for working with tables...................................................................................................294
Creating a table......................................................................................................................296
Formatting the table layout.....................................................................................................300
Creating and applying table styles..........................................................................................308
Formatting the table text.........................................................................................................310
Data entry and manipulation in tables.....................................................................................311
Additional table operations.....................................................................................................314
Using tables as a page layout tool..........................................................................................316
Chapter 14, Mail Merge................................................................................................317
What is mail merge?...............................................................................................................318
Creating and registering an address data source...................................................................318
Creating a form letter..............................................................................................................320
Printing mailing labels.............................................................................................................324
Printing envelopes..................................................................................................................327
Using the Mail Merge Wizard to create a form letter..............................................................328
Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies........................................337
Introduction.............................................................................................................................338
Tables of contents...................................................................................................................338
Alphabetic indexes..................................................................................................................345
Other types of index................................................................................................................353
Bibliographies.........................................................................................................................355
Chapter 16, Master Documents..................................................................................366
What is a master document?..................................................................................................367

6 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Why use a master document?................................................................................................367
Master document Navigator...................................................................................................368
Styles in master documents and subdocuments....................................................................369
Updating a master document.................................................................................................369
Creating a master document: scenarios.................................................................................370
Starting with a master document template.............................................................................370
Starting with no existing documents.......................................................................................371
Combining several documents into a master document.........................................................376
Splitting a document into master and subdocuments.............................................................377
Restarting page numbering....................................................................................................378
Editing a master document.....................................................................................................380
Creating a master document template...................................................................................381
Creating one file from a master document and its subdocuments.........................................381
Anchoring images...................................................................................................................382
Chapter 17, Fields........................................................................................................383
Introduction.............................................................................................................................384
Quick and easy field entry......................................................................................................384
Using document properties to hold metadata and information that changes.........................384
Using other fields to hold information that changes................................................................386
Using AutoText to insert often-used fields..............................................................................387
Defining your own numbering sequences..............................................................................388
Using automatic cross-references..........................................................................................389
Cross-referencing between subdocuments............................................................................392
Using fields in headers and footers........................................................................................394
Managing bookmarks.............................................................................................................395
Developing conditional content...............................................................................................396
Using placeholder fields..........................................................................................................402
Using other fields....................................................................................................................403
Classifying document contents...............................................................................................403
Chapter 18 Forms........................................................................................................ 404
Introduction.............................................................................................................................405
When to use forms..................................................................................................................405
Creating a simple form............................................................................................................405
Form controls reference..........................................................................................................407
Example: a simple form..........................................................................................................411
Accessing data sources..........................................................................................................417
Advanced form customization................................................................................................420
Using content controls............................................................................................................423
Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects....................................................424
Introduction: OLE and DDE objects........................................................................................425
Spreadsheets..........................................................................................................................427
Charts and graphs..................................................................................................................432
Audio and video......................................................................................................................437
Formulas (equations)..............................................................................................................438

LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide | 7

 Barcodes and QR codes.........................................................................................................438
Chapter 20, Customizing Writer..................................................................................440
Introduction.............................................................................................................................441
Choosing options for all of LibreOffice....................................................................................441
Choosing options for loading and saving documents.............................................................444
Choosing Writer-specific options............................................................................................446
Choosing language settings...................................................................................................455
Customizing menus................................................................................................................458
Customizing toolbars..............................................................................................................461
Customizing the user interface...............................................................................................463
Assigning shortcut keys..........................................................................................................464
Assigning macros to events....................................................................................................466
Adding functionality with extensions.......................................................................................466
Adding fonts............................................................................................................................467
Adding custom colors.............................................................................................................468
Chapter 21, User Interface Variants............................................................................470
Introduction.............................................................................................................................471
Selecting the user interface....................................................................................................471
Standard interfaces.................................................................................................................471
Tabbed interface.....................................................................................................................472
Tabbed Compact interface......................................................................................................484
Groupedbar Compact interface..............................................................................................484
Contextual Single interface.....................................................................................................485

8 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Preface
Who is this book for?
LibreOffice is a feature-rich, free, and open source office suite. It includes several powerful
applications for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases, and formula
editing. Writer is the word-processing application. It is compatible with a wide range of document
formats including Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx), and you can export your work in several formats
including PDF.
Anyone who wants to get up to speed quickly with Writer will find this book valuable. You may be
new to word processing software, or you may be familiar with another office suite.

What’s in this book?

This book introduces the main features of Writer, the word processor component of LibreOffice,
and provides instructions for their use.

Minimum requirements for using LibreOffice

LibreOffice 7.5 requires one of the following operating systems:
• Microsoft Windows: Windows 7 SP1; Windows 8, 10, or 11; Windows Server 2012.
Administrator rights are needed for the installation process.
• GNU/Linux: Kernel version 3.10 or higher and glibc2 v2.17 or higher.
• macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or higher.
For a detailed list of requirements and operating systems supported, see the LibreOffice website,
https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/system-requirements/.

Note regarding Java

Some LibreOffice features (wizards and the HSQLDB database engine) require that
the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or, for macOS, the Java Development Kit
(JDK) is installed on your computer. If you do not want to use Java, you can still use
nearly all of the LibreOffice features.
Java is available at no cost. More information and download links to the appropriate
edition for your operating system can be found at:
https://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp.
For macOS, you need to install Oracle’s Java Development Kit (JDK), not just the
Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Download links can be found at:
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/.
If you want to use LibreOffice features that require Java, it is important that the
correct 32-bit or 64-bit edition matches the installed version of LibreOffice. See the
Advanced Options in Chapter 2, Setting up LibreOffice.

How to get LibreOffice

Versions of LibreOffice Community for Windows, Linux, and macOS are freely available and can
be downloaded from https://www.libreoffice.org/download. Linux users will also find a version of
LibreOffice included by default in the majority of Linux distributions. Portable and other versions
of LibreOffice are listed on the download page. Linux, Enterprise, Online, and other versions may
differ in appearance and functionality from the descriptions in this book.

10 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Installing LibreOffice
Information on installing and setting up LibreOffice on the various supported operating systems is
given here: https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/install-howto/.

Setting up and customizing LibreOffice

You can change the default settings (options) in LibreOffice to suit your preferences. To change
settings, go to Tools > Options on the Menu bar (LibreOffice > Preferences on macOS).
Settings are described in the Help and in the Getting Started Guide. Some settings of particular
interest to users of Writer are covered in Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, in this book.

Tip
Many settings are intended for power users and programmers. If you do not
understand what an option does, we recommend leaving it on the default setting
unless instructions in this book recommend changing the setting.

You can customize menus, toolbars, and keyboard shortcuts in LibreOffice, add new menus and
toolbars, and assign macros to events. See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, for details.

Extensions and add-ons

You can add functionality to LibreOffice with extensions and add-ons. Several extensions are
installed with the program and you can get others from the official extensions repository,
https://extensions.libreoffice.org/ and from other sources. See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer,
for more information on installing extensions and add-ons.

Where to get more help

This book, the other LibreOffice user guides, the Help system, and user support systems assume
that you are familiar with your computer and basic functions such as starting a program, opening
and saving files.

Help system
LibreOffice comes with an extensive online Help system. This is your first line of support.
Windows and Linux users can choose to download and install the offline Help for use when not
connected to the Internet; the offline Help is installed with the program on macOS.
To display the Help system, press F1 or select Help > LibreOffice Help on the Menu bar. If you
do not have the offline help installed on your computer and you are connected to the Internet,
your default browser will open the online Help pages on the LibreOffice website.
The Help menu includes links to other LibreOffice information and support resources. Notice that
options marked with a ‡ sign are only accessible if your computer is connected to the Internet.
• What's This? For quick tips when a toolbar is visible, place the mouse pointer over any of
the icons to see a small box (“tooltip”) with a brief explanation of the icon’s function. For a
more detailed explanation, select Help > What's This? and hold the pointer over the
icon. In addition, you can choose whether to activate Extended Tips using Tools >
Options > LibreOffice > General. (macOS: LibreOffice > Preferences > LibreOffice >
General) on the Menu bar.

Preface | 11
 • User Guides ‡ Opens your default browser at the Documentation page of the LibreOffice
website https://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/. There you will find user guides (to
download as free PDFs or buy as printed copies) and other information.
• Show Tip of the Day Opens a small window with a random tip on how to use LibreOffice.
• Search Commands Opens a window where you can type a few letters or the name of a
Menu bar command, to quickly find where the command is located. Clicking on a
command in the resulting list may open a relevant dialog or have other effects.
• Get Help Online ‡ Opens your default browser at the Ask LibreOffice forum of questions
and answers from the LibreOffice community https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/questions/.
• Send Feedback ‡ Opens your default browser at the Feedback page of the LibreOffice
website https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/feedback/. From there you can report bugs,
suggest new features and communicate with others in the LibreOffice community.
• Restart in Safe Mode Opens a dialog where you can restart LibreOffice and reset the
software to its default settings.
• Get Involved ‡ Opens your default browser at the Get Involved page of the LibreOffice
website, https://www.libreoffice.org/community/get-involved/. There you can choose a
topic of interest to help improve the program.
• Donate to LibreOffice ‡ Opens your default browser at the Donation page of the
LibreOffice website https://donate.libreoffice.org/.
• License Information Outlines the licenses under which LibreOffice is made available.
• Check for Updates ‡ Opens a dialog and checks the LibreOffice website for updates to
your version of the software.
• About LibreOffice Opens a dialog and displays information about the version of
LibreOffice and the operating system you are using. This information will often be
requested if you ask the community for help or assistance with the software. (On macOS,
this option is found under LibreOffice on the Menu bar.)

Other free online support

The LibreOffice community not only develops software, but provides free, volunteer-based
support. See Table 1 and this web page: https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/.
For comprehensive online support from the community, look at mailing lists and the Ask
LibreOffice website, https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/questions/. Other websites run by users also
offer free tips and tutorials.
Table 1: Free support for LibreOffice users
Free LibreOffice support

Answers to frequently asked questions

FAQs
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Faq

Free community support is provided by a network of experienced

Mailing lists users
https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/

Free community assistance is provided in a question and answer

Questions & format. Search similar topics or ask a new question in
Answers and https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/questions
Knowledge Base The service is available in several other languages; replace /en/ with
de, es, fr, ja, ko, nl, pt, tr, and others in the address above.

12 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Free LibreOffice support

The LibreOffice website in various languages

https://www.libreoffice.org/community/nlc/
Native language Mailing lists for native languages
support https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Local_Mailing_Lists
Information about social networking
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Website/Web_Sites_services

Information about available accessibility options.

Accessibility options
https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/accessibility/

Paid support and training

You can also pay for support through service contracts from a vendor or consulting firm
specializing in LibreOffice. For information about certified professional support, see The
Document Foundation’s website: https://www.documentfoundation.org/gethelp/support/.
For schools, educational and research institutions, and large organizations, see
https://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-in-business/.

What you see may be different

Illustrations
LibreOffice runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems, each of which has several
versions and can be customized by users (fonts, colors, themes, window managers). The
illustrations in this guide were taken from a variety of computers and operating systems.
Therefore, some illustrations will not look exactly like what you see on your computer display.
Also, some of the dialogs may be different because of the settings selected in LibreOffice. You
can either use dialogs from your computer’s operating system or from LibreOffice. The
differences affect mainly Open, Save, and Print dialogs. To change which dialogs are used, go to
Tools > Options > LibreOffice > General and select or deselect the option Use LibreOffice
dialogs.

Icons
The LibreOffice community has created icons for several icon sets: Breeze, Colibre, Elementary,
Karasa Jaga, Sifr, and Sukapura; some are also available in a dark version. As a user, you can
can select your preferred set. The icons in this guide have been taken from a variety of
LibreOffice installations that use different sets of icons. The icons for some of the many tools
available in LibreOffice may differ from the ones used in this guide.
To change the icon set used, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > View. In the Icon Style
section, choose from the drop-down list.

Note
Some Linux distributions include LibreOffice as part of the installation and may not
include all the icon sets mentioned above. You should be able to download other
icon sets from the software repository for your Linux distribution.
The Galaxy, Oxygen, and Tango icon sets are no longer included as part of the
standard installation package for Windows, macOS, or Linux. You can download and
install them as extensions from https://extensions.libreoffice.org/en/extensions/.

Preface | 13
 Note
Some of the previously included gallery sets are now available only as extensions;
see https://extensions.libreoffice.org/?Tags%5B%5D=49 or search for specific ones.
For example, the People Gallery is available from
https://extensions.libreoffice.org/en/extensions/show/people-gallery

Using LibreOffice on macOS

Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows and
Linux. The table below gives some common substitutions for the instructions in this chapter. For
a more detailed list, see the application Help.

Windows or Linux macOS equivalent Effect

Tools > Options LibreOffice > Preferences Access setup options

menu selection
Right-click Control+click and/or right-click Opens a context menu
depending on computer setup
Ctrl (Control) ⌘ (Command) Used with other keys
Alt ⌥ (Option) or Alt, depending Used with other keys
on keyboard
F11 ⌘+T Open Styles deck in Sidebar

Frequently asked questions

How is LibreOffice licensed?
LibreOffice is distributed under the Open Source Initiative (OSI) approved Mozilla Public
License (MPL). See https://www.libreoffice.org/about-us/licenses/
It is based on code from Apache OpenOffice made available under the Apache License
2.0 but also includes software that differs from version to version under a variety of other
Open Source licenses. New code is available under LGPL 3.0 and MPL 2.0.
May I distribute LibreOffice to anyone? May I sell it? May I use it in my business?
Yes.
How many computers may I install it on?
As many as you like.
Do I need Java to run LibreOffice?
The Java JDK/JRE is only required for some features, including the HSQLDB relational
database engine. For more information, see “Minimum requirements for using LibreOffice”
on page 10.
How can I contribute to LibreOffice?
You can help with the development and user support of LibreOffice in many ways, and
you do not need to be a programmer. To start, check out this web page:
https://www.libreoffice.org/community/get-involved/.
May I distribute the PDF of this book, or print and sell copies?
Yes, as long as you meet the requirements of one of the licenses in the copyright
statement at the beginning of this book. You do not have to request special permission.
We request that you share with the project some of the profits you make from sales of
books, in consideration of all the work we have put into producing them. Visit
https://www.libreoffice.org/donate/ for instructions on how to donate to LibreOffice.

14 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

What’s new in LibreOffice Writer 7.5 Community?
This user guide has been updated from LibreOffice Writer Guide 7.3. It covers changes that are
visible in the LibreOffice Writer user interface and additional information from earlier releases,
including:
• Additional hyphenation settings (Chapter 2)
• Language Tool, a remote grammar checker (Chapters 2 and 20)
• Additional change tracking features (Chapter 3)
• Outline folding (Chapter 3)
• Page line-spacing for printed documents (Chapter 6)
• Gutter margins in page styles (Chapters 8 and 9)
• Revised and additional information about using styles (Chapter 8)
• Additional information about using master documents (Chapter 16)
• New features for bookmarks (Chapter 17)
• Content controls (Chapter 18)
LibreOffice 7.5 Community also includes many other changes, including improvements in
accessibility, spell checking, and interoperability with Microsoft’s proprietary file formats.
Release Notes are here: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/7.4
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/7.5

Preface | 15
 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 1,
Introducing Writer
What is Writer?
Writer is the word processor component of LibreOffice, a freely available, fully-featured office
productivity suite. In addition to the usual features of a word processor (text entry, editing, and
formatting; spelling checker, thesaurus, hyphenation, and autocorrect; find and replace; and
others), Writer provides these important features:
• Change tracking during revisions (Chapter 4)
• Page layout methods, including styles, frames, columns, and tables (Chapters 5 and 6)
• Export to PDF and ePub (Chapter 7)
• Document digital signatures (Chapter 7)
• Templates and styles (Chapters 8, 9, and 10)
• Built-in drawing tools (Chapter 11)
• Lists (Chapter 12)
• Tables (Chapter 13)
• Mail merge (Chapter 14)
• Automated tables of contents and indexes (Chapter 15)
• Master documents, to group several documents into a single document (Chapter 16)
• Fields and forms (Chapters 17 and 18)
• Database integration, including a bibliography database (Chapters 14, 15, and 18)
• Embedding or linking of spreadsheets, equations, and other objects (Chapter 19)
• And many more

Parts of the main Writer window

The main Writer window is shown in Figure 1. Its features are described in this section.

Note
By default, LibreOffice Writer’s commands are grouped in menus and toolbars, as
described in this section. In addition, Writer provides other user interface variations,
displaying contextual groups of commands and contents. For more information, see
the Help and Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.

Title bar
The Title bar is located at the top of the Writer window. It shows the file name of the current
document. When the document is not yet named, the document name will appear as Untitled X,
where X is a number. Untitled documents are numbered in the order in which they are created.

Menu bar
The Menu bar is located just below the Title bar in Windows and Linux and at the top of the
screen in macOS. When you select one of the menus, a submenu drops down to show further
options, including:
• Commands that directly cause an action, such as Close or Save in the File menu.
• Commands that open dialogs. These are indicated by three dots following a command,
such as Find and Replace... in the Edit menu.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 17

 • Commands that open further submenus. These are indicated by a right-pointing arrow
following a command, such as Toolbars and Zoom, in the View menu. Moving the
mouse pointer onto one of these items opens its submenu.

Figure 1: Parts of the main Writer window

Sidebar
The Sidebar is normally open by default on the right side of the Writer window, as shown in
Figure 1. If necessary, select View > Sidebar on the Menu bar to display it. The Sidebar also has
a Hide/Show icon, as shown in Figure 2. When the Sidebar is closed, this icon is on the far right
of the window; click it to open the Sidebar.
The Writer Sidebar contains seven decks by default: Properties, Styles (also shown as Styles
and Formatting in some installations), Gallery, Navigator, Page, Style Inspector, and Manage
Changes. Each deck can be opened by clicking its corresponding icon on the Tab bar to the right
of the sidebar.
Each deck consists of a title bar and one or more content panels. A panel is like a combination of
toolbar and dialog. Toolbars and Sidebar panels share many functions. For example, the icons
for making text bold or italic exist in both the Formatting toolbar in the main Writer window and
the Character panel of the Properties deck.
Some panels contain a More Options button, which opens a dialog with additional editing
controls. When the dialog is open, the document is locked for other editing.
To adjust the width of the Sidebar, place the mouse pointer on its left edge. When a double-
headed arrow appears, click and drag to right or left. You cannot make the Sidebar smaller than a
certain width, which varies depending on which deck is open.
To undock the Sidebar and make it floating, and to dock a floating Sidebar, use the drop-down list
in the Sidebar Settings located above the Tab bar (see Figure 3). In the same list, you can use
the Customization menu to choose which tabs you want to include in the Sidebar.

18 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 2: Properties deck of Sidebar

Figure 3: Sidebar Settings menu

The decks contained in the Writer Sidebar are described below.
Properties deck: Contains tools for directly formatting content.
When text is selected, these panels appear:
– Style: Apply, create, or update a paragraph style.
– Character: Modify text properties such as the font name, size, color, weight, or
character spacing.
– Paragraph: Modify a paragraph’s alignment, background color, indent, and spacing,
and toggle numbered or bulleted lists.
When the cursor is in a table, this panel appears in addition to the panels for text:
– Table: Modify table properties such as insert or delete rows, merge or split cells,
define row height and column width, background color or image, and borders.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 19

 When a graphic or image is selected, these panels appear:
– Area: Modify the fill mode and transparency of the background.
– Wrap: Modify the position of the graphic relative to surrounding text, where these
modifications are available.
– Image: Modify the graphic's brightness, contrast, color mode, or transparency.
– Position and Size: Modify width, height, rotation, or flip.
When a drawing object is selected, these panels appear:
– Area: Modify the fill mode and transparency of the background.
– Position and Size: Modify width, height, rotation, or flip.
– Line: Modify arrows, line style, width, color, or transparency.
– Effect: Add and adjust a Glow or Soft Edge effect to the object.
When a frame is selected, these panels appear:
– Area: Modify the fill mode and transparency of the background.
– Wrap: Modify the position of the graphic relative to surrounding text, where these
modifications are available.
When a video or audio clip is selected, these panels appear:
– Media Playback: Control for play, pause, stop, seek, loop, and volume.
– Position and Size: Modify width and height.
Styles deck: Manage the styles used in the document, apply existing styles, create new styles,
or modify them. For more information, see Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles, and Chapter 9,
Working with Styles.
Gallery deck: Shows images and diagrams included in the Gallery themes. The Gallery has two
sections: the first lists the themes by name (Arrows, Bullets, Diagrams, and so on) and the
second displays the images in the selected theme. For more information on using the Gallery to
add images to a document, create new themes and add your own images, see Chapter 11,
Images and Graphics.
Navigator deck: Browse the document and reorganize its content by selecting content
categories, such as headings, tables, frames, images, and so on. For more information, see
“Using the Navigator” on page 39.
Page deck: Contains tools for formatting the page style. It has four panels:
– Format: Modify size, width, height, orientation, and margins of the page.
– Styles: Modify page numbering style, background, layout, and number of columns.
– Header: Activate/deactivate header and modify its margins, spacing, and contents.
– Footer: Activate/deactivate footer and modify its margins, spacing, and contents.

Note
Changing the options on the Page deck modifies the page style in use, affecting not
only the current page but all pages using the same page style in this document.

Style Inspector deck: Displays all the attributes of paragraph styles, character styles, and
manual (direct) formatting for selected text. For more information, see Chapter 7, Working with
Styles.
Manage Changes deck: Lists tracked changes that have not yet been accepted or rejected. For
more information, see Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced.

20 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Toolbars
Toolbars can be docked (fixed in place) or floating. Docked toolbars can be moved to different
locations or made to float, and floating toolbars can be docked.

Displaying or hiding toolbars

To display or hide toolbars, go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar, then click the name of a
toolbar in the drop-down list. An active toolbar shows a check mark beside its name. Note that
toolbars created from tool palettes are not listed in the View menu.
To hide a toolbar, go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar and deselect the toolbar, or right-click
in an empty space between the icons on a toolbar and select Close Toolbar in the context menu.

Most-used toolbars
In a default LibreOffice installation (Figure 1), the top toolbar, just under the Menu bar, is called
the Standard toolbar.
The second toolbar at the top is the Formatting toolbar. It is context-sensitive; that is, it shows the
tools relevant to the current position of the cursor or the selected object. For example, when the
cursor is in text, the Formatting toolbar provides tools for formatting text. When the cursor is on a
graphic (image), the tools are for formatting images.
Other toolbars are discussed in the relevant chapters of this book.
To free more space for the document, you can choose a single-toolbar alternative containing the
most-used commands. To activate it, select View > User Interface > Single Toolbar.

Sub-menus and tool palettes

Toolbar icons with a small triangle to their right will display sub-menus, tool palettes, or other
methods of selecting items, depending on the icon.
A tool palette is a pop-up collection of tools attached to a single tool in a toolbar. The palette can
be made into a floating toolbar, as shown in Figure 4. Once removed from the parent toolbar, it
displays a Title bar. Tool palettes can be floating or docked along an edge of the screen or in one
of the existing toolbar areas.

Figure 4: Example of tearing off a tool palette: click on

the dots and drag to form a floating toolbar

Tip
If you cannot see the dots at the top of the tool palette, you need to unlock the
toolbar before you can float the palette. See “Locking and unlocking toolbars” below.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 21

Locking and unlocking toolbars
You can lock all toolbars, or individual toolbars, into place so they cannot be moved. When all
toolbars are locked, you cannot unlock individual ones.
To lock all toolbars in place, go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar and select Lock Toolbars
at the bottom of the submenu. You will need to restart LibreOffice for this change to take effect.
To unlock all toolbars, click on Lock Toolbars again.
To lock an individual toolbar into place, be sure Lock Toolbars is not selected on View >
Toolbars, then right-click on the toolbar and select Lock Toolbar Position in the context menu.

Moving toolbars
Docked toolbars are indicated by dotted handles on the left end (Figure 5). They can be
undocked and moved to a new docked position or left as a floating toolbar.
To undock a toolbar:
1) Move the mouse pointer over the toolbar handle, which is the small vertical bar to the left
of a docked toolbar, as shown in Figure 5.
2) Click and hold down the left mouse button and drag the toolbar to a new location.
3) Release the mouse button.

Figure 5: Toolbar handles

To move a floating toolbar, click and hold down its title bar and drag it to a new floating location or
dock the toolbar at the top or bottom of the main window.
To dock a floating toolbar, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click in the title bar of the toolbar.

Tip
If the toolbar handle is not displayed, its position is locked. To unlock the toolbar,
right-click it and then deselect the option Lock Toolbar Position.

Floating toolbars
Writer includes several toolbars, whose default settings correspond to the current position of the
cursor or selection (when toolbars are made active). For example, when the cursor is in a table,
the Table toolbar appears, and when the cursor is in a numbered or bulleted list, the Bullets and
Numbering toolbar appears. You can reposition or dock these toolbars as described in “Moving
toolbars” above.
To position a toolbar, do any of the following:
• Right-click somewhere in the floating toolbar and click Dock Toolbar in the context
menu. You can reposition the toolbar to a different docked position. See “Moving
toolbars” on page 26.
• Click Dock All Toolbars to dock all floating toolbars.
• Click Lock Toolbar Position to lock a docked toolbar into its position. Locking maintains
the toolbar’s position even when other toolbars on the same bar change location.
• Click Close Toolbar to close the selected toolbar.

22 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Customizing toolbars
You can customize toolbars in several ways, including choosing which icons are visible and
locking the position of a docked toolbar. You can also add icons and create new toolbars, as
described in Chapter 20, Customizing Writer. To access a toolbar’s customization options, right-
click anywhere on the toolbar to open a context menu.
• To show or hide icons defined for the selected toolbar, move the mouse pointer to Visible
Buttons in the context menu. Visible icons are indicated by an outline around the icon or
by a check mark beside the icon (Figure 6), depending on your operating system. Select
or deselect icons to hide or show them on the toolbar.
• To open the Customize dialog, click Customize Toolbar or choose View > Toolbars >
Customize. See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, for more information.

Figure 6: Toolbar context menu and selection of visible toolbar icons:

1) Right-click anywhere on the toolbar; 2) Point to Visible Buttons;
3) Visible icons are marked.

Rulers
The horizontal ruler across the top of the workspace is visible by default but the vertical ruler on
the left is hidden by default. To enable the vertical ruler, choose View > Rulers > Vertical Ruler
on the Menu bar, or choose Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > View (macOS: LibreOffice
> Preferences > LibreOffice Writer > View). To quickly show or hide both rulers, use the key
combination Ctrl+Shift+R.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 23

 Tip
The horizontal ruler has a comments button on its right end; click this to quickly show
or hide any comments.

Status bar
The Writer Status bar is located at the bottom of the workspace. It provides information about the
document and convenient ways to quickly change some document features. It can be hidden by
deselecting it in the View menu.

Figure 7: Writer Status bar, left end

Figure 8: Writer Status bar, right end

Document changes status
This icon changes color to indicate whether the document has unsaved changes. You can
click this icon to save the document.
Page number
Shows the sequence number of the current page, the total number of pages in the
document, and the current page number (if different from the sequence number). For
example, if you restarted page numbering at 1 on the third page, its page number is 1 and
its sequence number is 3.
If any bookmarks have been defined in the document, you can right-click this field to show
a list of bookmarks. Click a bookmark to move the cursor to that location in the document.
To jump to a specific page in the document, left-click this field to open the Go to Page
dialog (Figure 14 on page 39). Type the desired page number and click OK.
Word and character count
The word and character counts of the document are shown in the Status bar, and are
updated as you edit. If you select a portion of text, the count for that selection will
temporarily replace the document total count.
The character count shown here includes spaces. To display the character count
excluding spaces, click on this field or choose Tools > Word Count on the Menu bar.
You can also see the number of words and characters (and other information including
the number of pages, tables, and images) in the entire document in File > Properties >
Statistics.
Page style
Shows the page style of the current page. To select a different page style, right-click on
this field. A list of page styles pops up; click on one to select it. To edit the attributes of the
current page style, left-click on this field. The Page Style dialog opens.

24 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Caution
Changing the page style here may affect the styles assigned to other pages,
depending on how the page styles are set up. See Chapters 8 and 9 for details.

Text Language
Shows the language and localization used for spelling, hyphenation, and the thesaurus. It
is based on the position of the cursor or the selected text.
Click to open a menu where you can choose another language/localization for the
selected text or for the paragraph where the cursor is located. You can also choose None
(Do not check spelling) to exclude the text from a spelling check or Reset to default
language. Choosing More... opens the Character dialog. See Chapter 3, Working with
Text: Basics, for more information.
Insert mode
Click to change to Overwrite mode; click again to return to Insert mode. In Insert mode,
any text after the cursor position moves forward to make room for the text you type; in
Overwrite mode, text after the cursor position is replaced by the text you type. You cannot
switch modes when Edit > Track Changes > Record is active.
Selection mode
Click to display a list of the selection modes (Standard, Extending, Adding, and Block),
then click on one to activate it. The icon changes to indicate the mode, and a tooltip
shows which mode is active. See Chapter 3, Working with text: Basics, for more
information.
Digital signature
If the document has been digitally signed, an icon is displayed here; otherwise, it is blank.
Click here to sign the document or to view the existing certificate. See Chapter 7, Printing,
Exporting, Emailing, Signing, for more information.
Section or object information
When the cursor is in a section, heading, or list item, or when an object (such as a picture
or table) is selected, information about that item appears in this field. Clicking in this area
opens a relevant dialog.
Table 2: Section or object information in Status bar
Object Information shown Dialog opened
Image Size and position Image
List item Level and list style Bullets and Numbering1
Heading Outline numbering level Bullets and Numbering1
Table Name or number and cell reference of cursor Table Format
Section Name of section Edit Sections
Other (Blank) Fields

View layout
Click the corresponding icon to change between single-page, multiple-page, and book
layout views (Figure 9). You can edit the document in any view. Zoom settings interact
with the selected view layout and the window width to determine how many pages are
visible in the document window.

1 If a list style was used with a list item or heading, no dialog appears.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 25

 Figure 9: View layouts: single-page, multiple-page, book
Zoom
To change the view magnification, drag the Zoom slider, or click the + and − signs, or
right-click the zoom level percent to pop up a list of magnification values from which to
choose. Zoom interacts with the selected view layout to determine how many pages are
visible in the document window.

Context (right-click) menus

Context menus provide quick access to many menu functions. They are opened by right-clicking
on a paragraph, graphic, or other object. When a context menu opens, the functions or options
available will depend on the object that has been selected. This can be the easiest way to reach
a function, especially if you are not sure where the function is located in the menus or toolbars.

Dialogs
A dialog is a special type of window. Its purpose is to inform you of something, or request input
from you, or both. It provides controls for you to specify how to carry out an action.
In most cases, you can interact only with the dialog (not the document itself) as long as the dialog
remains open. When you close the dialog (usually, clicking OK or a similar button saves your
changes and closes the dialog; clicking Cancel closes the dialog without saving any changes),
then you can again work with the document.
Some dialogs can be left open as you work, so you can switch back and forth between the dialog
and your document. An example of this type is the Find & Replace dialog.

Document views
Writer has three ways to view and edit a document: Normal, Web, and Full Screen. To change
the view, go to the View menu and select the required view.
Normal view
Normal view is the default view in Writer. It shows how the document will look when you
print it or create a PDF. In this view, you can use the Zoom slider and the View Layout
icons on the Status bar to change the magnification. You can also hide or show the
headers and footers and the gap between pages, by selecting View > Show Whitespace
on the Menu bar. This works only when single-page view is active on the Status bar.
Hiding whitespace also works in Full Screen view.

26 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Web view
Web view shows how the document will look if viewed in a Web browser; this is useful
when you create HTML documents. In Web view, you can use only the Zoom slider. The
View Layout icons on the Status bar are disabled, and most of the choices on the Zoom &
View Layout dialog are not available.
Full Screen view
In Full Screen view, no toolbars or sidebar are displayed; the document takes up the full
area available, using the zoom and layout settings previously selected. To exit Full Screen
view and return to the previous view, press the Esc key or click the Full Screen button on
the floating toolbar in the top left-hand corner. You can also use Ctrl+Shift+J to enter
or exit Full Screen view.

Tip
You can also view a document using File > Print Preview, or press Ctrl+Shift+O,
but this view does not allow editing. See Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing,
Signing.

Starting a new document

You can start a new, blank document in Writer in several ways. If a document is already open in
LibreOffice, the new document is created in a new window.
• When LibreOffice is running but no document is open, the Start Center (Figure 10 on
page 32) is shown. Click one of the icons to open a new document of that type, or click
the Templates icon to start a new document using a template.
• Use File > New on the Menu bar and select the type of document in the submenu.
• When Writer is open, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N to create a new Writer
document.
• If a document is already open in LibreOffice, click the New icon on the Standard toolbar
and a new document of the type shown on the icon is created in a new window. The New
icon changes depending on which component of LibreOffice was last created.
• If a document is already open in LibreOffice, click on the small triangle to the right of the
New icon on the Standard toolbar and select the type of document in the context menu.

From the Start Center

When LibreOffice is open but no document is open, the Start Center (Figure 10) is shown. Click
Create: Writer Document to create a new text document, or click Templates and choose a
template to start a new document using a template other than the default template.
To filter the collection of documents shown, select a document type in the Filter drop-down list. To
remove from the list any documents that are no longer available (for example, if they have been
renamed or moved in the file system on your computer or network), use the drop-down on the top
right.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 27

 Figure 10: LibreOffice Start Center

From a template
A template is a set of predefined styles and settings that is used to create a new document.
Templates enable the easy creation of multiple documents with the same default settings. For
example, all the chapters of the Writer Guide are based on the same template. As a result, all the
chapters look alike; they have the same headers and footers, use the same fonts, and so on.
A new LibreOffice installation may contain only a few templates, but you can create your own or
download more from https://extensions.libreoffice.org/ and other websites. See Chapter 10,
Working with Templates.
To open the Template dialog, where you can choose the template you want to use for creating
your document, do one of the following:
• Press the Ctrl+Shift+N keys.
• Choose File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
• Choose File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
• Click the arrow next to the New icon on the Standard toolbar and select Templates in the
drop-down list.
The example shown in Figure 11 highlights a template in the Documents folder. Double-click the
desired template to create a new document based on that template. You can also right-click one
of the templates and then click Open. For more about the Templates dialog, see Chapter 10,
Working with Templates.

28 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 11: Creating a document from a template

Opening an existing document

You can open an existing document in several ways.
When no document is open:
• Click Open File or Remote files in the Start Center.
• Choose File > Open or File > Open Remote on the Menu bar.
• Press Ctrl+O on the keyboard.
• Click a thumbnail in the list of recently opened documents displayed in the Start Center.
You can scroll up or down in the Start Center to locate a recently opened document.

Note
Renamed or relocated documents can still be listed in the Start Center. Selecting
one gives an error message that the file does not exist. To remove the thumbnail
from the Start Center, hover the mouse pointer over the thumbnail until an X appears
in the upper right corner, and then click on the X.

If a document is already open:

• Click the Open icon on the Standard toolbar.
• Click the small triangle to the right of the Open icon and select from a list of recently
opened documents, or select Open Remote File.
• Use File > Recent Documents to make a selection from the submenu.
When using the Open dialog, navigate to the folder you want, select the file, then click Open. If a
document is already open in LibreOffice, the second document opens in a new window.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 29

You can reduce the list of files in the Open dialog by selecting the type of file you are looking for.
For example, if you choose Text documents as the file type, you will only see documents that
Writer can open. This method opens Word (.doc and .docx) files and other formats as well as
OpenDocument (.odt).
You can also open an existing Writer document using the same methods you would use to open
any document in your operating system.

Opening files not in OpenDocument Text (.odt) format

You can open an existing document that is in a format that LibreOffice recognizes by double-
clicking on the file icon on the desktop or in a file manager such as Windows Explorer or macOS
Finder. LibreOffice may need to be associated with file types that are not ODF files for the
appropriate LibreOffice component to open.
For example, on a Windows computer, if you do not have Microsoft Office installed or if Microsoft
Office is installed but you have associated Microsoft Word file types (*.doc or *.docx) with
LibreOffice, then when you double-click on a Word file, it opens in LibreOffice Writer.
If you did not associate the file types with LibreOffice, and Microsoft Office is installed on your
computer, then when you double-click on a Microsoft Word file, it opens in Microsoft Word.
On macOS, if Microsoft Office is not installed and you have not associated those file types with
LibreOffice, double-clicking a file may open it in Apple’s Pages application.
To avoid files opening in the wrong application, do not double-click on them; instead, right-click
on the file and select Open with > LibreOffice.
See the LibreOffice Help for more about file associations.

Saving a document
You can save a document using any of the following commands:
• Save – use if you are keeping the document, its current filename and location.
• Save As – use to create a new document, or change the filename and/or file format, or
save the file in a different location on your computer.
• Save Remote – use if your document is already stored in a remote server or will be
stored in a remote server.
• Save a Copy – use to save a copy of your current document and keep the current
document open for more editing.
• Save All – use to save all the files open in your current session.

Save commands
Save a new file or a previously-saved file
Do one of the following:
• Press Ctrl+S.
• Choose File > Save on the Menu bar.
• Click the Save icon on the Standard toolbar.
If the file has not been saved previously, a Save As dialog appears after selecting one of the
above options. Enter the file name, verify the file type and location, and click Save.
If a previously-saved file is being saved with the same file name, file type, and location, nothing
else needs to be done.

30 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Save to a remote server
Use this command if your document is already stored on a remote server or you want to store it
on a remote server. Choose File > Save Remote. When the Save As dialog appears, enter or
verify the name, type, and location, then click Save.
See “Opening and saving files on remote servers” on page 38 for more information.

Save a copy
Use this command if you want to keep the document open for more editing and also save
a separate copy of the current version.
Choose File > Save a Copy. When the Save As dialog appears, enter or verify the
name, type, and location, then click Save. The copy is not opened and the original file
remains open and active.

Save all
Use this command to save all files open in the current session.
Choose File > Save All. All open files will be saved without changes to name, type, or location.

Save As command
Use this command if you want to save the current version as a new document by changing the
file name or file type, or by saving the file in a different location on your computer.
Choose File > Save As, or use Ctrl+Shift+S to open a Save As dialog where you can change the
file name, type, or location, and click Save.
If you want to preserve the original file, first save a copy as described above.

Note
LibreOffice uses the term “export” for some file operations involving a change of file
type, such as PDF and ePub. See Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, E-mailing, for more
information.

Saving documents automatically

You can choose to have Writer save documents automatically in a temporary file at regular
intervals. To set up automatic file saving:
1) Select Tools > Options > Load/Save > General on the Menu bar (macOS: LibreOffice
> Preferences > Load/Save > General). (See also Chapter 20, Setting Up Writer.)
2) Click Save AutoRecovery information every and set the time interval. The default value
is 10 minutes. Enter the value you want by typing it or by pressing the up or down arrow
keys.
3) You may also wish to select Always create backup copy.
4) Click OK to save the changes.
5) You will be prompted to restart LibreOffice. You can choose to restart immediately or later.
The changes will be active after the restart.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 31

Saving as a Microsoft Word document
You may need to save documents in Microsoft Word formats such as .docx. To do this:
1) Important: If your file is in Writer’s format (.odt), first save your document in that format. If
you do not, any changes you made since the last time you saved will only appear in the
Microsoft Word version of the document.
2) Then click File > Save As.
3) On the Save As dialog, in the File type drop-down menu, select the type of Microsoft
Word format you need. You may also choose to change the file name.
4) Click Save.
This creates a separate document with a different file extension. From this point on, all changes
you make to the document will occur only in the new document. If you want to go back to working
with the .odt version of your document, you must open it again.

Tip
To have Writer save documents by default in a Microsoft Word file format, go to
Tools > Options > Load/Save > General (macOS: LibreOffice > Preferences >
Load/Save > General). In the section named Default File Format and ODF Settings,
next to Document type, select Text document, then under Always save as, select
your preferred file format.

Exchanging documents with users of Apple Pages

Although Writer can open and edit files in Apple Pages format (*.pages), it cannot save in that
format or export to that format. Apple Pages cannot open files in OpenDocument format, so if you
need to share files with users of Pages, save your .odt file to a compatible format, such as .rtf
or .docx.
Pages users can also export (not save) a copy of a Pages document in a format compatible with
Writer, such as .docx or .rtf, which writer can then open, edit, and save to.

Using password protection and OpenPGP encryption

LibreOffice provides two types of document protection: password protection and OpenPGP
encryption. Files encrypted with the Save password cannot be decrypted without the password,
which must be sent to each user who needs to decrypt the document. With OpenPGP encryption,
the document is encrypted using an algorithm, which requires a key. Each key is used only once
and is sent to the recipient along with the document.

Password protection
LibreOffice provides two levels of password protection: read-protect (file cannot be viewed
without a password) and write-protect (file can be viewed in read-only mode but cannot be
changed without a password). Thus you can make the content available for reading by one group
of people and for reading and editing by a different group. This behavior is compatible with
Microsoft Word file protection.
To protect a document with passwords:
1) Use File > Save As when saving the document. (You can also use File > Save the first
time you save a new document.)
2) On the Save As dialog, select the Save with password option in the lower left corner
(Figure 12), and then click Save.

32 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 12: Save with password and Encrypt with GPG key options
3) The Set Password dialog opens (Figure 13). Here you have several choices:
– To read-protect the document, type a password in the two fields at the top of the
dialog.
– To write-protect the document, click the Options button and select Open file read-
only in the File Sharing Password section.
– To write-protect the document but allow selected people to edit it, select Open file
read-only and type a password in the two boxes at the bottom of the dialog.

Figure 13: Two levels of password protection

4) Click OK to save the file. If either pair of passwords does not match, you receive an error
message. Close the message box to return to the Set Password dialog and enter the
password again.

Caution
LibreOffice uses a very strong encryption mechanism that makes it almost
impossible to recover the contents of a document if you lose the password.

Changing or removing the password for a document

When a document is password-protected, you can change or remove the password while the
document is open. Choose File > Properties > General and click the Change Password button.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 33

OpenPGP encryption
LibreOffice uses the OpenPGP software installed on your computer. If no OpenPGP software is
available, you must download and install one suitable for your operating system before you can
use this option.
You must define a personal pair of cryptography keys with the OpenPGP application. Refer to the
OpenPGP software installed on how to create a pair of keys. For more information on using this
form of encryption, see the supplied Help.
OpenPGP encryption requires the use of the public key of the recipient; this key must be
available in the OpenPGP key chain stored in your computer.2
To encrypt a document:
1) Choose File > Save As,
2) In the Save As dialog, enter a name for the file.
3) Select the Encrypt with GPG key option (see Figure 12).
4) Click Save. The OpenPGP public key selection dialog opens.
5) Choose the public key of the recipient. You can select multiple keys.
6) Click OK to close the dialog and save the file encrypted with the selected public keys.

Opening and saving files on remote servers

LibreOffice can open and save files stored on remote servers (that is, not on your computer or
local area network). Keeping files on remote servers allows you to work with the documents
using different computers. For example, you can work on a document in the office and also at
home or elsewhere. Storing files on a remote server also backs up documents, saving data from
computer loss or hard disk failure. Some servers are also able to check files in and out, thus
controlling their usage and access.
LibreOffice supports many document servers that use well-known network protocols such as
FTP, WebDav, Windows share, and SSH. It also supports popular services like Google Drive and
Microsoft OneNote, as well as commercial and open source servers that implement the OASIS
CMIS standard. For more information, see the Getting Started Guide.

Moving quickly through a document

Writer provides ways to move quickly through a document and find specific items, including:
• Go to Page
• Navigator
• Outline folding
• Reminders

Using Go to Page
You can jump to a specific page in the document in these ways:
• Use the Go to Page field on the top right of the Navigator (see below).
• Use the Go to Page dialog (Figure 14), which shows the current page number and the
number of pages in the document. Type the number of the destination page in the text
box and click OK.

2 GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) is an implementation of the Open PGP standard.

34 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 To open the Go to Page dialog, do any of the following:
– Click on the page number field on the Status Bar.
– Choose Edit > Go to Page on the Menu bar.
– Press Ctrl+G on the keyboard.

Figure 14: Go to Page dialog

Using the Navigator

In a default installation of LibreOffice, the Navigator is part of the Sidebar. It lists all of the
headings, tables, text frames, graphics, bookmarks, and other objects contained in a document.
To open the Navigator (Figure 15), do one of the following:-
• Click the Navigator tab in the Tab bar on the right of the Sidebar.
• Click the Navigator icon (if visible) on the Standard toolbar.
• Press F5.
• Choose View > Navigator on the Menu bar.
Click the + sign or triangle to the left of a category or subcategory to display its contents.
Table 3 summarizes the functions of the icons at the top of the Navigator.

Note
In a master document, the Navigator has different functions. See Chapter 16, Master
Documents.

The Navigator provides several convenient ways to move around a document and find items in it:
• To jump to a specific page in the document, type its sequence number in the box at the
top of the Navigator and press Enter. The sequence number may be different from the
page number if you have restarted numbering at any point.
• When a category is opened to show the list of items in it, double-click an item to jump
directly to that item’s location in the document. For example, you can jump directly to a
selected heading, graphic, or comment by using this method.
• To see the contents in only one category, highlight that category and click the Content
Navigation View icon. Click the icon again to display all the categories. You can also
change the number of heading levels shown when viewing Headings.
• Use the Previous and Next icons to jump to other objects of the type selected in the
Navigate By drop-down list.
• In the top left of the Navigator is a Navigate By drop-down list. You can pick a type of
object (such as a bookmark, table, or index entry) and then use the Previous (^) and Next
(v) buttons to jump from one to the next (Figures 15 and 16).

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 35

 Figure 15: The Navigator in the Sidebar
Table 3: Function of icons in the Navigator
Opens a drop-down list where you can select the type of
1 Navigate By
element by which you want to navigate.
Jumps between the text area and the header or footer area (if
2 Header/Footer
the page has them).
Jumps between a footnote anchor and the corresponding
3 Anchor <–> Text
footnote text.
4 Set Reminder Inserts a reminder. See “Setting reminders” on page 41.
Jumps to the previous/next element of the type selected in
5 Previous/Next
the Navigate By drop-down list.
Jumps to the page number shown in the box. Type a page
6 Go to Page
number or select it using the + and – signs.
Content Navigation Switches between showing all categories and showing only
7
View the selected category.
8 List Box On/Off Toggles between having the list box shown or hidden.
Heading Levels
9 Choose the number of heading levels to be shown.
Shown
Select Insert as Hyperlink, Link, or Copy. See Chapter 3,
10 Drag Mode
Working with Text: Advanced.
Promote/Demote Quickly change the level of the selected heading in the
11
Level document. See Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced.
Promote/Demote Move headings and text in the document. See Chapter 3,
12
Chapter Working with Text: Advanced.

Note
A hidden section (or other hidden object) in a document appears gray in the
Navigator, and displays the word “hidden” as a tooltip. For more about hidden
sections, see Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced.

36 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 16: Navigate By list on Navigator

Tip
Objects are much easier to find if you give them identifying names when creating
them. By default, LibreOffice gives objects names such as Image1, Image2, Table1,
Table2, and so on. These names are assigned in the order in which the objects are
added to the document, which may not correspond to the location of the object in the
document.
You can rename objects after inserting them. For example, to rename an image,
right-click its name in the Navigator, choose Image in the context menu, then choose
Image > Rename. The view jumps to the image (to show which one it is) and a small
dialog pops up. Type a new name for the image and click OK to save.
You can also right-click the image and select Properties. In the Image dialog, go to
the Options page, edit the name, and click OK.

Using outline folding

Using outline folding, you can hide and show all content under headings, including text, images,
tables, frames, shapes, and text boxes. In large documents, this feature can help you quickly
scroll to the right position for editing and reading.
To enable this feature, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > View (macOS: LibreOffice
> Preferences > LibreOffice Writer > View and select Show outline-folding buttons. Optionally
select Include sub levels.
Outline folding works with the Navigator and directly using a mouse. For more information, see
Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced.

Setting reminders
Reminders let you mark places in your document that you want to return to later on, for example
to add or correct information or simply mark where you finished editing.
To set a reminder at the cursor’s current location, click the Set Reminder icon in the Navigator.
You can set up to 5 reminders in a document; setting a sixth causes the first to be deleted.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 37

Reminders are not highlighted in any way in the document, nor are they listed in the Navigator,
so you cannot see where they are, except that when you jump from one to the next, the location
of the cursor shows the location of the reminder.
To jump between reminders, first select the Reminder option in the Navigate By drop-down list.
Then click the Previous and Next icons.
Reminders are not saved with the document.

Undoing and redoing changes

To undo the most recent change in a document, press Ctrl+Z, choose Edit > Undo on the
Menu bar, or click the Undo icon on the Standard toolbar.
To get a list of all the changes that can be undone, click the small triangle to the right of the Undo
icon on the Standard toolbar. You can select several sequential changes on the list and undo
them at the same time (Figure 17).

Figure 17: List of actions that can be undone

After changes have been undone, Redo becomes active. To redo a change, select Edit > Redo,
or press Ctrl+Y or click the Redo icon on the Standard toolbar. As with Undo, click the down
arrow icon of the combination icon to get a list of the changes that can be restored.

Displaying multiple views of a document

You can open, view, and edit several views of the same document in LibreOffice at the same
time. These views are displayed in windows that can show different pages or use different zoom
levels or other settings. A change to the document in one window is immediately reflected in the
other windows. In Writer, for example, you might find this useful for copying or moving
information from one page to another.
To open a new window showing the document, go to Window > New Window on the Menu bar.
In each window opened, the filename in the title bar is automatically numbered as shown by the
example in Figure 18.
If other LibreOffice documents are open at the same time, the list of windows also includes them.
The active window has a marker by its filename in the list. You can switch between windows by
clicking on a name in the list, or by clicking on the window itself if it is visible on the display.
To close the active window, go to Window > Close Window on the Menu bar, or use the
keyboard shortcut Ctrl+W, or click the Close icon on the Menu bar or Title bar of the window.

38 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 18: List of open windows

Reloading a document
Reloading is useful in two situations.
• To discard all the changes made in an editing session after the last document save.
• To show any formatting changes that do not show until the document has been closed
and reopened; saving and then reloading has the same result.
To reload a document, go to File > Reload on the Menu bar. If you have made changes to a file
since the last save, a confirmation dialog will warn you that reloading will discard your last
changes. Choose whether to save or discard the changes.

Closing a document
To close a document, go to File > Close on the Menu bar or click the X on the right or left end of
the Menu bar (in Windows and Linux) or the Title bar (in macOS). When you close the last
document in Windows or Linux, the LibreOffice Start Center opens. In macOS, only the Menu bar
remains at the top of the screen.
If the document has not been saved since the last change, a message box is displayed. Choose
whether to save or discard your changes.

Chapter 1, Introducing Writer | 39

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 2,
Working with Text: Basics
Introduction
This chapter covers the basics of working with text in Writer. It assumes that you are familiar with
the use of a mouse and keyboard and that you have read about Writer’s menus and toolbars and
other topics covered in Chapter 1, Introducing Writer.
We recommend that you also display formatting aids, such as end-of-paragraph marks, tabs,
breaks, and other items in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Formatting Aids (macOS:
LibreOffice > Preferences > LibreOffice Writer > Formatting Aids). You can hide or display
these markers by going to View > Formatting Marks. See Chapter 20, Setting up Writer, for
more information.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• Selecting, cutting, copying, pasting, and moving text.
• Finding and replacing text.
• Inserting special characters.
• Checking spelling and grammar, using the thesaurus, and choosing hyphenation options.
• Using the AutoCorrect, Word Completion, AutoText, and case-changing features.
See also Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced, and Chapter 4, Formatting Text.

Selecting text
Selecting text in Writer is similar to selecting text in other applications. You can swipe the mouse
pointer over text or use multiple clicks to select a word (double-click), sentence (triple-click), or
paragraph (quadruple-click).
You can also click in the text, press F8 to enter Extending selection mode, and then use the
arrow keys on your keyboard to select a contiguous block of text. Press F8 again after you have
finished selecting the block of text.
In addition, you can select non-contiguous items and vertical blocks of text.
One way to change the selection mode is to use the icon on the Status bar (see Figure 19).
When you right-click the icon, a context menu displays the options: Standard selection,
Extending selection (F8), Adding selection (Shift+F8), and Block selection (Ctrl+Shift+F8).
Click on an option to activate it.

Figure 19: Changing the selection mode using

the status bar

Selecting items that are not consecutive

To select non-consecutive items (Figure 20) using the mouse in Standard selection mode:
1) Select the first piece of text.
2) Hold down the Ctrl key and use the mouse to select the next piece of text.
3) Repeat as often as needed.

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 41

To select non-consecutive items using the keyboard in Adding selection mode:
1) Select the first piece of text. For more information about keyboard selection of text, see
the topic “Navigating and Selecting with the Keyboard” in the LibreOffice Help (F1).
2) Press Shift+F8, or click the Selection mode icon on the Status bar and select Adding
Selection in the list, to enable Adding selection mode.
3) Use the arrow keys to move to the start of the next piece of text to be selected. Hold
down the Shift key and select the next piece of text.
4) Repeat as often as required.
Now you can work with the selected text (copy it, delete it, change the style, and so on). After
finishing your work with the selected text, press Esc to exit Adding selection mode.

Figure 20: Selecting non-consecutive pieces of text

Selecting a vertical block of text

You can select a vertical block of text that spans through multiple rows using Writer’s Block
selection mode. Use Edit > Selection Mode > Block Area, or press Ctrl+F8, or click the
Selection mode icon on the status bar and select Block selection in the list. Now you can
highlight the selection, using mouse or keyboard, as shown in Figure 21.

Figure 21: Selecting a block of text

42 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Cutting, copying, and pasting text
Cutting and copying text in Writer is similar to cutting and copying text in other applications. You
can copy or move text within a document, or between documents, by dragging or by using menu
selections, icons, or keyboard shortcuts. You can also copy text from other sources such as Web
pages and paste it into a Writer document.
• To move (drag and drop) selected text using the mouse, drag it to the new location and
release it; the cursor changes shape while dragging.
• To copy selected text, hold down the Ctrl key while dragging. The text retains the
formatting it had before dragging.
• To move (cut and paste) selected text, use Ctrl+X to cut the text, insert the cursor at the
paste-in point and use Ctrl+V to paste. Alternatively, use the Copy / Paste buttons on
the Standard toolbar or the options under Edit on the Menu bar.
When you paste text, the result depends on the source of the text and how you paste it. If you
click the Paste button, then the pasted text keeps its original formatting (such as bold or italics).
Text pasted from websites and other sources may be placed automatically into frames or tables
as part of the format when you paste. If you do not like the results, click the Undo button or press
Ctrl+Z.
To make the pasted text inherit the paragraph style at the insertion point:
• Choose Edit > Paste Special, or
• Click the arrow on the combination Paste button, or
• Double-click the Paste button without releasing the left mouse button, or
• Press Ctrl+Shift+V
Then select Unformatted text or Paste Unformatted text in the resulting menu.
You can also press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V, which pastes unformatted text directly.
The range of choices on the Paste Special menu varies depending on the origin and formatting of
the text (or other object) to be pasted. Figure 22 shows an example with text on the clipboard.

Figure 22: Paste Special menu

Finding and replacing text

Writer has two ways to find text within a document: the Find toolbar for fast searching and the
Find and Replace dialog. In the dialog, you can:
• Find and replace words and phrases.
• Use wildcards and regular expressions to fine-tune a search (see Chapter 3).
• Find and replace specific attributes or formatting (see Chapter 3).
• Find and replace paragraph styles (see Chapter 3).

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 43

Using the Find toolbar
By default, the Find toolbar is docked at the bottom of the LibreOffice window, just above the
Status Bar (Figure 23), but you can float it or dock it in another location. For more information on
floating and docking toolbars, see Chapter 1, Introducing Writer. If the Find toolbar is not visible,
you can display it by choosing View > Toolbars > Find or Edit > Find on the Menu bar or by
pressing Ctrl+F.

Figure 23: Docked position of Find toolbar

To use the Find toolbar, click in the box and type your search text, then press Enter to find the
next occurrence of that term. Click the Find Next or Find Previous (arrow) buttons as needed.
Click the Find All button to select all instances of the search term within the document. Select
Match Case to find only the instances that exactly match the use of upper and lower case letters
in the search term. To open the Find and Replace dialog, click the icon next to Match Case.
To close the Find toolbar, click the X button on the left, or press Esc on the keyboard when the
cursor is in the search box.

Using the Find and Replace dialog

To display the Find and Replace dialog (Figure 24), use any of the following methods:
• Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+H (macOS: Cmd+Shift+F).
• Choose Edit > Find and Replace on the Menu bar.
• Click the Find and Replace button on the Find toolbar.
When the dialog is open, click Other options to expand it.

Figure 24: Expanded Find & Replace dialog

44 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

To use the Find and Replace dialog:
1) Type the text you want to find in the Find box.
2) To replace the text with different text, type the new text in the Replace box.
3) You can select various options, such as matching the case or matching whole words only.
The other options include searching only in selected text, searching from the current
cursor position backwards toward the beginning of the document, searching for similar
words, searching in comments, and using regular expressions (wildcards). The use of
other options is described in Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced.
Additional options are shown when CTL or Asian languages have been selected in Tools
> Options > Language Settings > Languages.
4) When you have set up the search, click Find Next. As the document view moves to each
found instance, you can replace the text by clicking Replace or skip that instance by
clicking Find Next again.

Tip
If you click Find All, Writer selects all instances of the search text in the document.
Similarly, if you click Replace All, Writer replaces all matches, without stopping for
you to accept each instance.

Note
Use Replace All with caution; otherwise, you may end up with mistakes that you
won’t be able to undo later if you save and close the file. (Ctrl+Z works only before
the file is saved.) A mistake with Replace All might require a manual, word-by-word,
search to fix.

Inserting special characters

A special character is one not found on a basic English keyboard. For example, © ¾ æ ç Ł ñ ö ø
¢ are all special characters.
To insert one or more special characters, place the cursor in the position where you want the
characters to appear. Then do one of the following:
• Click the Special Character icon on the Standard toolbar to open a list of favorite and
recently used characters and click on one to insert it (Figure 25). You can also open the
Special Characters dialog (Figure 26) by clicking the More Characters button in this list.

Figure 25: Insert Special Characters

icon on the standard toolbar

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 45

 • Click Insert > Special Character to open the Special Characters dialog (Figure 26).
Double-click the characters (from any font or mixture of fonts) you wish to insert, in order;
they appear in the document as you select them. The selected characters are also added
to the Recent Characters list on the lower left of the dialog.

Figure 26: The Special Characters dialog

Tips
To view details of a character, single-click it; details are shown on the right, along
with its numerical code.
To insert a character and leave the dialog open, double-click the character. To insert
a character and close the dialog, click it and then click the Insert button.

Different fonts include different special characters. If you do not find a special character you
want, try changing the Font selection.

Inserting non-breaking spaces, hyphens, and more

You can insert a variety of formatting marks while typing or later. Most of these marks can be
inserted using a keyboard shortcut; all are available in Insert > Formatting Mark on the Menu
bar (Figure 27).
Non-breaking space
To prevent two words from being separated at the end of a line, press Ctrl+Shift when
you type the space between the two words.
Non-breaking hyphen
You can use a non-breaking hyphen (also called a hard hyphen) in cases where you do
not want the hyphen to appear at the end of a line, for example in the following text
“123-4567”. To insert a non-breaking hyphen, press Shift+Ctrl+hyphen.

46 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 27: Insert > Formatting Mark submenu
Soft Hyphen
Soft hyphens (also called custom, discretionary, or optional hyphens) specify where
words should be divided at the end of a line. If the word does not occur at the end of a
line, the hyphen does not appear. To insert a soft hyphen, press Ctrl+hyphen.
Narrow No-break Space
If you want a non-breaking space that is not as wide as a normal space, press
Alt+Shift while you type the space.
No-width Optional Break
Use Ctrl+/ to insert an invisible space in a word that will cause a line break if it is the last
character in the line. Available when complex text layout (CTL) is enabled.
Word Joiner
Inserts an invisible space in a word that will keep the word together at the end of a line. In
earlier versions of Writer, this mark was called No-width no break.
When complex text layout (CTL) is enabled, these additional formatting marks are active:
Left-to right Mark
Inserts an invisible mark that affects the text direction of any text following the mark.
Right-to-Left Mark
Inserts an invisible mark that affects the text direction of any text following the mark.

Inserting en and em dashes

To enter en and em dashes as you type, you can use the Replace dashes option on the Options
tab under Tools > AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect Options. This option replaces one or two
hyphens, under certain conditions, with the corresponding dash (Table 4).
– An en-dash is a dash the width of the letter “n” in the font you are using. Type at least one
character, a space, a hyphen, another space, and at least one more letter. The hyphen will
be replaced by an en-dash.
— An em-dash is a dash the width of the letter “m” in the font you are using. Type at least one
character, two hyphens, and at least one more character. The two hyphens will be replaced
by an em-dash. Exception: if the characters are numbers, as in a date or time range, the
two hyphens are replaced by an en-dash.

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 47

In Table 4, the A and B represent text consisting of letters A to Z or digits 0 to 9.
Table 4: Inserting dashes
Text that you type Result
A - B (A, space, hyphen, space, B) A – B (A, space, en dash, space, B)
A -- B (A, space, hyphen, hyphen, space, B) A – B (A, space, en dash, space, B)
A--B (A, hyphen, hyphen, B) A—B (A, em dash, B)
1--2 (number, hyphen, hyphen, number) 1–2 (number, en dash, number)
A-B (A, hyphen, B) A-B (unchanged)
A -B (A, space, hyphen, B) A -B (unchanged)
A --B (A, space, hyphen, hyphen, B) A –B (A, space, en dash, B)

Another way to insert en and em dashes is through the Insert > Special Characters menu.
Select the U+2013 or U+2014 character (found in the General punctuation subset), respectively.
A third method uses keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts vary depending on your operating
system, as described below.

Tip
You can also record macros to insert en and em dashes and assign those macros to
unused key combinations, for example Ctrl+Shift+N and Ctrl+Shift+M. For
more information about key combinations, see Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.

macOS
For an en dash, hold down the Option (Alt) key and type a hyphen. For an em dash, the
combination is Shift+Option+Hyphen.
Windows
On most non-Asian installations of Windows, hold down the left Alt key and type on the
numeric keypad: 0150 for an en dash or 0151 for an em dash. The dash appears when
you release the Alt key.

Tip
On a keyboard with no numeric keypad, use a Fn (Function) key combination to
type the numbers. (The Fn key is usually next to the right of the left-hand Ctrl key
on the keyboard.) For example, on a US keyboard layout, the combination for an en
dash should be Alt+Fn+mjim and for an em dash it should be Alt+Fn+mjij.

Linux
Hold down the Compose key and type two hyphens and a period for an en dash, or three
hyphens for an em dash. The dash appears when you release the Compose key.

Tip
The key that operates as a Compose key varies with the Linux distribution. It is
usually one of the Alt or Win keys, but may be another key, and should be user-
selectable.

48 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Checking spelling and grammar
By default, four dictionaries are installed for each language, if they are available for that
language: a spelling checker, a grammar checker, a hyphenation dictionary, and a thesaurus.
The spelling checker determines if each word in the document is in the installed dictionary. The
grammar checker works in combination with the spelling checker. You can enable or disable the
grammar checker in the Spelling dialog.
You can choose to check spelling and grammar automatically as you type and at any other time.

Spelling
To enable automatic checking of spelling, go to Tools on the Menu bar and select Automatic
Spell Checking, or click the Automatic Spell Checking icon (which may not be displayed by
default) on the Standard Toolbar, or go to Tools > Options > Language Settings > Writing Aids
(macOS: LibreOffice > Preferences > Language Settings > Writing Aids) and select Check
spelling as you type in the Options list.
Automatic Spell Checking checks each word as it is typed and displays a wavy red line under
any unrecognized words. Right-click an unrecognized word to open a context menu (Figure 28).
You can click one of the suggested words to replace the underlined word with the one selected. If
the list does not contain the word you want, click Spelling to open a dialog. When the word is
corrected, the line disappears. If the word is correct but not in the dictionary, you can chose Add
to dictionary to add it.

Figure 28: Spelling context menu

If the document has change tracking enabled, then the context menu contains extra options
relating to changes in the text.
The choices in the second and third sections of the menu are:
Ignore
This one instance of the underlined word will be ignored while the document is open.
Other instances, if they exist, will still be underlined. This setting is not stored with the
document.
Ignore All
All instances of the word in the document will be ignored, and the word will be added to
the IgnoreAllList user-defined dictionary.
Add to Dictionary
The word is added by default to the Standard dictionary.

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 49

 Spelling
This choice opens the Spelling dialog, which is explained in the next section.
Always correct to
Selecting this opens the submenu, which repeats the suggestions for the word from the
top section listing. Selecting a replacement word here stores the word pair in the
replacement table under Tools > AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect Options > Replace. The
underlined word is replaced with the selected word.
AutoCorrect Options
Opens the AutoCorrect Options dialog (see page 65), where you can add your own
corrections or change those supplied with LibreOffice.
In the fourth section of the context menu, you can set language settings for the text. These
settings can be applied to the selection or to the paragraph containing the selection.

Spelling and grammar

To perform a combined spelling and grammar check on the document (or a text selection), select
Tools > Spelling or click the Spelling button on the Standard toolbar, or press F7. In order to
use this feature, the appropriate dictionaries must be installed.
The Spelling tool checks either the document from the cursor point onwards, or the text selection.
It opens the Spelling dialog (Figure 29) if any unrecognized words are found or if any of the built-
in grammar rules are broken. You can choose to restart from the beginning of the document
when the check reaches the end of the document.
If you have selected the Check grammar option in the lower left of the dialog, any grammar
errors detected will also be shown. See Figure 31 for an example.

Figure 29: Spelling alert using the Spelling dialog

Text language
The language to be used for checking spelling can be selected from this drop-down list.

50 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Not in dictionary
The sentence containing the error is displayed in the pane. If an unrecognized word is
found, it is highlighted. If the error is grammatical, it is indicated in a colored bar below the
Text language setting (Figure 31). The sentence or the word can be edited in the pane.
Suggestions
The box contains suggested replacements for the highlighted word. Select a word and
then select Correct or Correct All to replace it.
For grammatical errors there is a single choice. Select Change to accept the suggestion.
Ignore Once, Ignore All, Add to Dictionary
Clicking one of these buttons has the same effect as the item in the context menu
described above.
Ignore Rule
When checking grammar, you can choose to ignore the suggested change.
Correct
Replaces the unknown word with the suggested word. If the sentence was edited, the
whole sentence is changed. For grammar, the suggested replacement is used to correct
the text.
Correct All
This replaces all instances of the word with the selected replacement word. Not available
for grammar checking.
Always Correct
This behaves in a similar fashion to AutoCorrect.
Undo
This button is enabled when a change has been made to the sentence, so you can
reverse the change. The button is not available if you use a Correct button to replace a
word.
Options
Click this button to open the Options dialog where you can select user-defined
dictionaries and set the spell checking rules.

Grammar
By default, Check grammar as you type is enabled in Tools > Options > Language Settings >
Writing Aids > Options. Automatic Spell Checking must be enabled for this to work. You can
also check grammar at any time using the Spelling tool, and you can disable grammar checking
as you type.
When grammar checking as you type is enabled, any errors detected are shown underlined by a
wavy blue line. Right-clicking on this line opens a context menu (Figure 30).

Figure 30: Context menu for grammar errors

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 51

 • The first entry in the menu describes the suspected broken grammatical rule.
• The second menu item in the left example is Explanations, which opens your browser to
a web page offering more information about the error. This entry is not always present in
the context menu, as seen in the second example in Figure 30.
• In the second section of the menu is the suggested correction. Clicking this changes the
text to the suggestion. The example to the right appears blank, but clicking here removes
the extra space causing the error.
• In the third section of the menu you can choose to ignore the indicated error, or to open
the Spelling dialog, shown in Figure 31.
• In the final section of the menu, you can set the language for the selection or the
paragraph.
In the example shown in Figure 31, hovering the mouse pointer over More… on the upper right-
hand side displays the URL for more information on the error indicated. Clicking on More…
opens your default browser to that URL.

Figure 31: Spelling dialog showing the URL for expanded explanation

Tip
You can select a different color for the wavy underline for grammar mistakes in Tools
> Options > LibreOffice > Application Colors. See Chapter 20, Customizing
Writer.

English sentence checking

Additional grammar checking rules can be selected through Tools > Options > Language
Settings > English sentence checking. You can also go to Tools > Extension Manager, select
English spelling dictionaries, and then click the Options button.
On the English Sentence Checking page (Figure 32), choose which items are checked for,
reported to you, or converted automatically. After selecting the additional grammar checks, you
must restart LibreOffice, or reload the document, for them to take effect.

52 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 32: Additional grammar checking options

Grammar checking
Possible mistakes
Checks for errors such as with it's, he don't, this things and so on.
Capitalization
Checks for the capitalization of sentences.
Word duplication
Checks for all word duplication, rather than just the default words 'and', 'or', 'for' and 'the'.
Parentheses
Checks for correct pairing of parentheses and quotation marks.

Punctuation
Word spacing
This option is selected by default. It checks for single spaces between words, indicating
instances of double or triple spaces. To find and correct longer groups of spaces, you
need to run the checker more than once.
Quotation marks
This checks that double quotation marks are typographically correct, that is, beginning [“]
and ending [”] quotation marks curve in the correct directions.
Sentence spacing
Checks for a single space between sentences, indicating when one or two extra spaces
are found.
Apostrophe
Replaces an apostrophe with the correct (curved) typographical character.
More spaces
Checks word and sentence spacing for more than two extra spaces.
Em dash; En dash
These options force a non-spaced em dash to replace a spaced en dash, or force a
spaced en dash to replace a non-spaced em dash, respectively. This feature provides for
different punctuation conventions.
Multiplication sign
This option is selected by default. It replaces an 'x' used as a multiplication symbol with
the correct typographical symbol.

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 53

 Ellipsis
Replaces three consecutive periods (full stops) with the correct typographical symbol.
Minus sign
Replaces a hyphen with the correct minus typographical character.

Others
Convert to metric; Convert to non-metric
Converts quantities in a given type of unit to quantities in the other type of unit.
Thousands separation of large numbers
Depending on the locale setting for the document, converts a number with five or more
significant digits to either use a comma as a thousands separator or the ISO format,
which uses a narrow space as a separator.

Using Language Tool

Language Tool is a multilingual grammar, style, and spelling checker provided by
https://languagetool.org/. Writer can now use this tool for grammar checking along with the built-
in grammar checker described above. When Language Tool is activated (see Chapter 20,
Customizing Writer), it appears on the list of available language modules in Tools > Options >
Language Settings > Writing Aids.

Using synonyms and the thesaurus

You can access a short list of synonyms from a context menu (Figure 33).
1) Right-click a word and point to Synonyms on the context menu. A submenu of alternative
words and phrases is displayed.
2) Click a word or phrase in the submenu to have it replace the highlighted word or phrase in
the document.

Figure 33: Synonyms on the context menu

54 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The thesaurus gives a more extensive list of alternative words and phrases. To use the
thesaurus:
1) Right-click on a word, point to Synonyms in the context menu, then click Thesaurus in
the Synonyms submenu. See Figure 33.
2) In the Thesaurus dialog (Figure 34), select a word or phrase in the list of meanings.
3) Click Replace to make the substitution.
For example, when given the word house, the thesaurus offers several meanings, including
dwelling, legislature, sign of the zodiac, and others. Select a replacement word from the list under
the relevant meaning, so for dwelling, you will see dwelling, home, domicile, abode, and other
alternatives.

Note
If the current language does not have a thesaurus installed, this feature is disabled.

Figure 34: The thesaurus offers alternatives to words

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 55

Hyphenating words
You can hyphenate words at the end of a line in two ways: let Writer do it automatically (using
styles and its hyphenation dictionaries), or insert conditional (soft) hyphens manually where
needed. Or, you can choose to not hyphenate at all. Each choice has its pros and cons.

Automatic hyphenation
This option uses styles and over-rides the Tools > Options choices described on the next page.
To turn automatic hyphenation of words on or off:
1) Click the Styles tab on the Sidebar to open the Styles deck. On the Paragraph Styles list,
right-click Default Paragraph Style and select Modify.
2) On the Paragraph Style dialog (Figure 35), go to the Text Flow tab.
3) Under Hyphenation, select or deselect Automatically. When automatic hyphenation is
on, you can also set the criteria for when it should occur.
4) Click OK to save.

Note
Turning on hyphenation for the Default Paragraph Style affects all other paragraph
styles that are based on the Default Paragraph Style. You can individually change
other styles so that hyphenation is not active; for example, you might not want
headings to be hyphenated. Any styles that are not based on the Default Paragraph
Style are not affected. For more information, see Chapters 8 and 9 in this book.

Figure 35: Turning on automatic hyphenation

Hyphenation options
When automatic hyphenation is enabled, the following options can be set:
Don't hyphenate words in CAPS
Don't insert hyphens in words written entirely in capital letters.
Don't hyphenate the last word
Don't insert hyphens in the last word of a paragraph.

56 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Characters at line end
Specify the minimum number of characters to leave at the end of a line.
Characters at line begin
Specify the minimum number of characters that must appear at the beginning of the line
after the hyphen.
Maximum consecutive hyphenated lines
Specify the maximum number of consecutive lines that can be hyphenated.
Minimum word length in characters
Specify the minimum word length in characters that can be hyphenated.
Hyphenation zone
Specify the length of the horizontal space in which a word cannot be hyphenated; instead,
the line of text will break between words. Specifying a hyphenation zone results in
enlarged spaces between words in justified text, and greater distance from paragraph
margins in non-justified text.
You can also specify some hyphenation settings in Tools > Options > Language Settings >
Writing Aids. These choices apply when there is no specific setting in a paragraph style.
Hyphenation options set in Writing Aids are effective only if hyphenation is turned on through
paragraph styles.
In Options, near the bottom of the dialog, scroll down to find the hyphenation settings.

Figure 36: Setting hyphenation options

To change the minimum number of characters for hyphenation, or the minimum number of
characters before or after a line break, select the item, and then click the Edit button in the
Options section.
Hyphenate without inquiry
Specifies that you will never be asked to manually hyphenate words that the hyphenation
dictionary does not recognize. If this box is not selected, when a word is not recognized, a
dialog will open where you can manually enter hyphens.
Hyphenate special regions
Specifies that hyphenation will also be carried out in footnotes, headers, and footers.

Manual hyphenation
To manually hyphenate words, do not use a normal hyphen, which will remain visible even if the
word is no longer at the end of a line when you add or delete text or change margins or font size.
Instead, use a soft hyphen, which is visible only when required.
To insert a soft hyphen inside a word, click where you want the hyphen to appear and press
Ctrl+hyphen (minus sign) or use Insert > Formatting Mark > Insert soft Hyphen. The
word will be hyphenated at this position when it is at the end of the line, even if automatic
hyphenation for this paragraph is switched off.

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 57

Using AutoCorrect
Writer’s AutoCorrect function includes a long list of common misspellings and typing errors, which
it corrects automatically. It also includes codes for inserting special characters, emojis, and other
symbols. You can add your own special characters.
AutoCorrect is turned on by default when Writer is installed. You may wish to disable some of its
features, modify others, or turn it off completely. To turn AutoCorrect off, uncheck Tools >
AutoCorrect > While Typing.
You can add your own corrections or special characters or change those supplied with
LibreOffice. Select Tools > AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect Options to open the AutoCorrect dialog
(Figure 37). On the Replace tab, you can define what strings of text are corrected and how.
To stop Writer replacing a specific spelling, go to the Replace tab, highlight the word pair, and
click Delete. To add a new spelling to the list, type it into the Replace and With boxes on the
Replace tab, and click New.

Figure 37: Replace tab of AutoCorrect dialog

Tip
LibreOffice has an extensive list of emojis and other special characters accessible
with AutoCorrect. For example, type :smiling: and AutoCorrect will replace it with ☺.
Or, (c) will be changed to ©. You also can add your own special characters.

58 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

See Chapter 4, Formatting Text, for discussion of the Options and Localized Options tabs of the
AutoCorrect dialog.

Using Word Completion

If Word Completion is enabled, Writer tries to guess which word you are typing and offers to
complete the word for you. To accept the suggestion, press Enter. Otherwise, continue typing.
To turn off Word Completion, select Tools > AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect Options > Word
Completion and deselect Enable word completion.
You can customize word completion on the Word Completion page of the AutoCorrect dialog
(Figure 38):
• Add (append) a space automatically after an accepted word.
• Show the suggested word as a tip (hovering over the word) rather than completing the
text as you type.
• Collect words when working on a document, and then either save them for later use in
other documents or select the option to remove them from the list when closing the
document.
• Change the key that accepts a suggested entry; the options are right arrow, End key,
Enter (Return), Space bar, and Tab.
• Change the maximum number of words remembered for word completion and the length
of the smallest words to be remembered.
• Delete specific entries from the word completion list.

Figure 38: Customizing word completion

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 59

 Note
Automatic word completion occurs only after you type a word for the second time in
a document.

Using AutoText
Use AutoText to store text, tables, fields, graphics, and other items for reuse and assign them to
a key combination for easy retrieval. For example, rather than typing “Senior Management” every
time you use that phrase, you can set up an AutoText entry to insert those words when you type
“sm” and press F3.
AutoText is especially powerful when assigned to fields. See Chapter 17, Fields.

Creating AutoText
To store some text as AutoText:
1) Type the text into your document.
2) Select the text.
3) Go to Tools > AutoText on the Menu bar (or press Ctrl+F3).
4) In the AutoText dialog (Figure 39), type a name for the AutoText in the Name box. Writer
will suggest a one-letter shortcut, which you can change.

Figure 39: Defining a new AutoText entry

5) Choose the category for the AutoText entry, for example My AutoText.
6) Click the AutoText button at the bottom of the dialog and select from the menu either
New (to have the AutoText retain specific formatting, no matter where it is inserted) or
New (text only) (to have the AutoText take on the formatting around the insertion point).
7) Click Close to return to your document.

60 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
If the only option under the AutoText button is Import, either you have not entered a
name for your AutoText or there is no text selected in the document.

To save a table as AutoText:

1) Create a table and format it the way you want.
2) Select the table and go to Tools > AutoText on the Menu bar (or press Ctrl+F3).
3) Type a name for the AutoText (or amend the suggested shortcut and choose the category
for the AutoText entry).
4) Click the AutoText button and select New (because you want the formatting of the table
preserved).
5) Click Close to return to your document.

Inserting AutoText
To insert AutoText, type the shortcut and press F3.

Printing a list of AutoText entries

To print a list of AutoText entries:
1) Choose Tools > Macros > Organize Macros > Basic.
2) In the Macro From list, find and expand Gimmicks.
3) Select AutoText and then click the Run button at the bottom of the dialog (not shown in
Figure 40). A list of the current AutoText entries is generated in a separate text document.
You can then print this document.

Figure 40: Basic Macros dialog

Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics | 61

Changing the case of selected text
To quickly change the case of text, select it, choose Format > Text on the Menu bar, and then
choose one of the following:
• UPPERCASE, where all letters are capitalized.
• lowercase, where no words (except proper nouns) are capitalized.
• Cycle Case, which cycles the selected words through uppercase, lowercase, and
capitalize every word.
• Sentence case, where only the first word is capitalized (together with any proper nouns).
• Capitalize Every Word, where every word is capitalized.
• tOGGLE cASE, which changes every letter to the opposite case.
• Small capitals, which capitalizes all letters in a reduced font size.
Writer does not have an automated way to do Title Case, where all words are capitalized except
for certain subsets defined by rules that are not universally standardized. However, you can use
Capitalize Every Word and then restore those words that you do not want capitalized.
The Format > Text menu also includes several manual formatting options, including bold, italic,
and superscript. If Asian language support has been enabled, there are also several options that
are used with Asian text: half-width, full-width, Hiragana, and Katakana.
You can also change the case of text using the Character dialog or a character style. Choose
Format > Character, click the Font Effects tab (Figure 41), then select the type of capitalization
in the Effects – Case: box.

Figure 41: Changing the case using the Character dialog

62 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 3,
Working with Text: Advanced
Introduction
This chapter covers the more advanced tools for working with text in Writer:
• The built-in language tools
• Advanced find-and-replace techniques, including wildcards
• Track changes and insert comments
• Footnotes and endnotes
• Linking to other parts of a document
• Outline folding (hiding and showing contents)
• Inserting material from other documents
• Line numbering
This chapter assumes that you are familiar with the basic text techniques described in Chapter 2,
Working with Text: Basics. We recommend that you also display formatting aids, such as end-of-
paragraph marks, tabs, breaks, and other items in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer >
Formatting Aids. For information on formatting text, see Chapter 4.

Using built-in language tools

Writer provides some tools that make your work easier if you mix multiple languages within the
same document or if you write documents in various languages:
• The functions in Tools > Language
• Language settings in Options
• Paragraph and character styles
• The functions available on the Status bar
The main advantage of changing the language for a text selection is that you can then use the
correct dictionaries to check spelling and apply the localized versions of AutoCorrect replacement
tables, thesaurus, and hyphenation rules. A grammar checking dictionary may also be available
for the selected language.
You can also set the language for a paragraph or a group of characters as None (Do not check
spelling). This option is especially useful when you insert text such as web addresses or
programming language snippets that you do not want to check for spelling.

Using Tools > Language

You can set the language for the whole document, for individual paragraphs, or even for
individual words and characters, in Tools > Language on the Menu bar (Figure 42):
• For Selection applies a specified language to the selected text. If the language you wish
to apply is not listed in the submenu, choose More... to open the Character dialog.
• For Paragraph applies the specified language to the paragraph where the cursor is
located. If the language you wish to apply is not listed in the submenu, choose More... to
open the Character dialog.
• For All Text applies the specified language to all of the document, including text inserted
after making the change. If the language you wish to apply is not listed in the submenu,
choose More... to open the Tools > Language Settings > Languages dialog.
The Reset to Default Language option on the submenu is the fastest way to return a selection,
paragraph, or all text to the default language set in Tools > Options (described below).

64 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The Tools > Language menu options include two that are activated when Asian is selected in
Tools > Options > Language Settings > Languages > Default languages for documents:
Chinese Conversion and Hangul/Hanja Conversion. These options are not covered in this book.

Figure 42: Options available through Tools > Language on the Menu bar

Using language settings in Options

Another way to change the language of a whole document is to use Tools > Options >
Language Settings > Languages (macOS: LibreOffice > Preferences > Language Settings >
Languages) In the Default languages for documents section (Figure 43), you can choose a
different language for all the text that is not explicitly marked as a different language.

Caution
A change in the default language from the Options dialog is a general change of
settings of LibreOffice and will therefore apply to all the documents created in the
future. If you want to change the language for the current document only, be sure to
select the For the current document only option (Figure 43).

Figure 43: Options available in the Languages settings

Note
The spelling checker works only for those languages in the list that have a
checkmark symbol next to them. If you do not see this symbol next to your preferred
language, you can install the dictionary using Tools > Language > More
Dictionaries Online.

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 65

Using paragraph and character styles
Changing the language on the Font tab of the Paragraph Styles dialog (Figure 44) will change
the language for all paragraphs that use that paragraph style. If you will have whole paragraphs
in different languages in a single document, you can use a different paragraph style for each
language. For example, you might define Text Body-EN and Text Body-FR in a document
containing paragraphs in both English and French.
See Chapter 9, Working with Styles, for information on how to manage the language settings of a
style.

Figure 44: Setting the language for a paragraph style

Using the Status bar

You can set paragraphs to be checked in a language that is different from the language of the
rest of the document by putting the cursor in the paragraph (or selecting more than one
paragraph) and changing the language on the Status bar (Figure 45). This change affects only
the selected paragraphs.
The language used for checking spelling is also shown in the Status bar, next to the page style in
use. You can change the language for the paragraph or the entire document; click the language
in the Status bar to pop up a menu of choices.

Figure 45: Language choices on the Status bar

The Reset to Default Language option on the menu and submenu is the fastest way to return a
paragraph or the entire document to the default language set in Tools > Options (described
above).

66 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Advanced find and replace techniques
In addition to finding and replacing words and phrases (described in Chapter 2), you can use
Writer’s Find and Replace dialog to find and replace paragraph styles and text formatting.

Find and replace paragraph styles

Combining material from several sources may result in unwanted paragraph styles in your
document. To quickly change all the paragraphs from one style to another (preferred) style:
1) On the Find and Replace dialog with Other Options displayed, select Paragraph Styles.
The Find and Replace boxes now contain a list of paragraph styles in use in the
document.
If you have text formats or attributes specified, this option is labeled Including Styles.
Select No Format to remove any attributes and return the option to Paragraph Styles.
2) Select the styles you want to search for and replace.
3) Click Find, Find All, Replace, or Replace All.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each style that you want to replace.

Find and replace text formatting

Unlike Find and Replace for paragraph styles described above, the formats or attributes to be
searched for do not appear inside the Find or Replace box. Instead, the formats or attributes to
be found or replaced appear below the Find and Replace boxes (Figure 46). Clicking on the
down-arrow to the right does not bring up options.

Figure 46: Find and replace text formatting

To find a type of formatting in the document, follow this procedure:
1) Open the Find and Replace dialog (Figure 46) and select Other options.

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 67

 2) To clear any previous format criteria, place the cursor in the Find box and then click the
No Format button. To clear the selected Replace options, place the cursor in the Replace
box and click the No Format button.
3) Click the Format button to open the Search for Formatting dialog, which looks much like
the Character dialog. Select a format from any of the tabs (for example: bold, 14 pt,
Spacing above paragraph).
4) To find this format that has been applied only by direct formatting, leave the Including
Styles box unchecked. To find this format also applied inside a character or paragraph
style, select the Including Styles box.
5) Choose Find All to have all formats found highlighted. Choose Find Previous or Find
Next to find one format instance at a time.
6) To replace the chosen format, click inside the Replace box, then choose Format and
choose a replacement from the tabbed options.
7) Replace the formats one at a time using Find Previous > Replace or Find Next >
Replace. Use Replace All to change all formats at once.
8) To avoid errors the next time you use this dialog, it is a good idea to repeat Step 2 and
clear all the formatting criteria selected.
To change the formatting for a specific word or phrase in a document:
1) Type the word or phrase in the Find box.
2) In the Replace box, type in the new text you want to use and choose the formats you
would like to change. However, if you want to keep the same word or phrase and only
change its format, ensure you also type the word or phrase in the Replace box.
Otherwise, Writer will remove the word or phrase from the document.
3) Replace the words and formats one at a time using Find Previous > Replace or Find
Next > Replace. Use Replace All to change all words and formats at once.

Similarity search
This option finds terms that are similar to the Find: text. For example, a similarity search can find
words that differ by two characters.
Select Similarity search and click the Similarities button to open a dialog where you can modify
the text search by length and number of characters different from the search term (Figure 47).

Figure 47: Similarity search dialog

68 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Exchange characters
Enter the number of characters in the search term that can be exchanged. For example, if
you specify 2 exchanged characters, "black" and "crack" are considered similar.
Add characters
Enter the maximum number of characters by which a word can exceed the number of
characters in the search term.
Remove characters
Enter the number of characters by which a word can be shorter than the search term.
Combine
Searches for a term that matches any combination of the similarity search settings.

Search with wildcards and regular expressions

A wildcard is a special character that represents one or more unspecified characters. Wildcards
make text searches more powerful but often less specific. LibreOffice enables you to use
combinations of characters known as regular expressions which are more specific than simple
wildcards but less so than a literal string. Regular expressions are very powerful but not very
intuitive. They can save time and effort by combining multiple finds into one.
Table 5 shows a few of the regular expressions used by LibreOffice. The Help describes many
more regular expressions and their uses.
To use wildcards and regular expressions when searching and replacing:
1) On the Find and Replace dialog, click Other Options to see more choices. On this
expanded dialog, select the Regular expressions option.
2) Type the search text, including the wildcards, in the Search for box and the replacement
text (if any) in the Replace with box. Not all regular expressions work as replacement
characters; the line break (\n) is one that does work.
3) Click Find, Find All, Replace, or Replace All (not recommended).
Table 5: Examples of search wildcards (regular expressions)
Use this Examples and comments
To find
expression
Any single character . (a period or b.d finds bad, bud, bid, and bed.
full stop)
One of the specified [xyz] b[iu]n finds bin and bun.
characters
Any single character in [r-t]eed finds reed, seed, and teed; ranges must
[x-y]
this range be in alphabetically ascending order.
Any single character [^x]
except the characters p[^a]st finds post and pest, but not past.
inside the brackets
The beginning of a
\<start \<log finds logbook and logistics, but not catalog.
word
The end of a word end\> log\> finds catalog, but not logistics.
A paragraph marker $ Does not work as a replacement character. Use \
n instead.
A line break \n Finds a line break that was inserted with
Shift+Enter. When used as a replacement
character, it inserts a paragraph marker.

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 69

 Note
To search for a character that is defined as a wildcard, type a backslash (\) before
the character to indicate that you are using it literally. For example, to find the text
$5.00, you would conduct a search using \$5\.00.

Tracking changes to a document

You can use several methods to keep track of changes made to a document:
• Make your changes to a copy of the document (stored in a different folder, under a
different name, or both), then use Writer to compare the two files and show the changes.
This technique is particularly useful if you are the only person working on the document,
as it avoids the increase in file size and complexity caused by the other methods. See
“Comparing documents” on page 84.
• Save versions that are stored as part of the original file. However, this method can cause
problems with large or complex documents, especially if you save a lot of versions. Avoid
this method if you can.
• Use Writer’s change marks (often called “redlines” or “revision marks”) to show added,
deleted, or moved material and changed formatting. Later, you or another person can
review and accept or reject each change.
This section describes the use of change tracking features, which include:
• Tracking insertion and deletion of text, images, tables, and other objects.
• Tracking changes of the attributes of paragraph styles and character styles.
• Tracking insertion and deletion of table rows, including empty rows.
• Showing moved material in a different color from added or deleted material.
• Tracking material moved using the Navigator.
• Tracking footnote deletion and insertion.
• Showing list numbering changes at the list item.

Note
Not all changes are recorded. For example, changing a tab stop from align left to
align right, and changes in formulas (equations) or linked graphics are not recorded.

Preparing a document for review

When you send a document to someone else to review or edit, you may want to prepare it first so
that the editor or reviewer does not have to remember to turn on the revision marks. After you
have protected the document, any subsequent user must enter the correct password in order to
turn off protection or accept or reject changes.
1) Open the document. Check whether it contains multiple versions by clicking File >
Versions. If multiple versions are listed, save the current version as a separate document
with a different name and use this new document as the review copy.
2) With the review copy open, make sure that change recording is turned on. The Edit >
Track Changes > Record Menu bar item and the Record Track Changes button on the
Track Changes toolbar are highlighted when recording is turned on.
3) Click Protect Track Changes on the Track Changes toolbar or select Edit > Track
Changes > Protect on the Menu bar. On the Enter Password dialog that opens, type a
password (twice) and click OK.

70 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
An alternative to steps 2 and 3 above is to choose File > Properties > Security tab,
select the Record changes option, then click Protect and enter the password.

Track Changes menu and toolbar

In addition to the Track Changes menu (Figure 48), Writer provides a convenient toolbar (Figure
49) that includes buttons for the same functions. To enable the Track Changes toolbar, click View
> Toolbars > Track Changes. You can dock this toolbar in a convenient place or leave it floating.

Figure 48: Track Changes menu

Figure 49: Track Changes toolbar

1 Show Track Changes 2 Record Track Changes
3 Previous Track Change 4 Next Track Change
5 Accept Track Change 6 Reject Track Change
7 Accept All Tracked Changes 8 Reject All Tracked Changes
9 Accept Track Change and select Next 10 Reject Track Change and select Next
11 Manage Track Changes 12 Insert Comment
13 Insert Track Change Comment 14 Protect Track Changes
15 Compare Non-Track Changed Document 16 Merge Track Changed Document

Recording changes
To begin recording (tracking) changes, click Record Track Changes on the Track Changes
toolbar or select Edit > Track Changes > Record on the Menu bar. To show or hide the display
of changes, click Show Track Changes on the Track Changes toolbar or select Edit > Track
Changes > Show on the Menu bar.
To enter a comment on a tracked change, place the cursor in the area of the change and then
click Edit > Track Changes > Comment or click the Insert Track Change Comment button (not
the Insert Comment button) on the Track Changes toolbar.
To stop recording changes, click Edit > Track Changes > Record again.

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 71

 Tip
See also “Adding other comments” on page 85 for a way to annotate text that is not
associated with a tracked change.

Recording inserted, deleted, and moved material

By default, inserted text is underlined, deleted text has a line through it (strike through), both are
in color, and a mark (change bar) appears in the margin. To modify the default settings, see
Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.
In an existing table, a deleted row is shown in pink and an inserted row in cyan. A new, blank
table is marked in the margin but the rows are not colored.
Moved material is shown in green and indicated by a double underline (new location) or double
strikethrough (old location).

Recording changes of paragraph styles and other formatting

When a different paragraph style is applied to a paragraph, the change is indicated by a mark in
the margin.
By default, a change of character style or a manually applied character attribute is indicated by
bold, colored text in addition to the attribute (such as italic or underlined), and the change in
indicated by a mark in the margin.
Changes in list numbering show the original list numbers of all list items as well as the new
numbers. Some examples are shown in Figure 50.

Figure 50: Examples of recorded list numbering changes

Outline tracking
Outline tracking uses the Navigator to track changes in the sequence of entire portions of a
document: a heading and any material between it and the next heading of the same level. With
Track Changes enabled, using the Move Chapter Up and Move Chapter Down buttons on the
Navigator causes the moved material to be marked and tracked in the same way as material
moved using drag-and-drop or cut-and-paste.
Outline tracking is enabled by default. To disable it, right-click on any heading in the Navigator
and choose Off from the context menu.

Viewing changes and comments

Hold the mouse pointer over a tracked change; you will see a Help Tip showing the type of
change, the author, date, and time of day for the change. If Extended Tips are enabled, you will
also see any comments recorded for this change.
In addition to being displayed as an extended tip, recorded comments are shown in the list in the
Manage Changes dialog (Figure 51). If no comment has been recorded for a change, the
Comment field is blank.
To move from one tracked change to the next, use the Previous Change and Next Change
buttons on the Track Changes toolbar (Figure 49).

72 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Accepting or rejecting changes
To accept or reject recorded changes, use any of these tools:
• Track Changes toolbar (Figure 49)
• Items on the Track Changes menu (Figure 48)
• Right-click (context) menu
• Manage Changes dialog
• Manage Changes deck on the Sidebar
Track Changes menu and toolbar
For quick and easy accepting and rejecting of changes, you can use the Track Changes
toolbar (Figure 49), which includes buttons for the same functions as appear on the Edit
> Track Changes submenu (Figure 48).
Right-click (context) menu
1) If tracked changes are not showing, click the Show Track Changes icon on the Track
Changes toolbar or select Edit > Track Changes > Show on the Menu bar.
2) Hover the mouse pointer over a recorded change. A box appears with information about
the type of change, who made it, and the date and time.
3) Right-click the changed text. In the context menu, choose Accept Change or Reject
Change.
Manage Changes dialog and Sidebar deck
1) Click the Manage Track Changes icon on the Track Changes toolbar or select Edit >
Track Changes > Manage on the Menu bar. The Manage Changes dialog (Figure 51)
opens, showing changes that have not yet been accepted or rejected. Or, click the
Manage Changes icon in the Sidebar to display the same information.

Figure 51: The List tab of the Manage Changes dialog

2) When you select a change in the dialog, the change itself is highlighted in the document,
so you can see what was changed.
3) Click Accept or Reject to accept or reject the selected change. You can also click Accept
All or Reject All if you do not want to review the changes individually.

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 73

To show only the changes of certain people or only the changes on specific days or various other
restrictions, use the Filter tab (Figure 52) on the Manage Changes dialog. After specifying the
filter criteria, return to the List tab to see those changes that meet your criteria.

Figure 52: The Filter page of the Manage Changes dialog

Comparing documents
Sometimes reviewers may forget to track the changes they make. You can find the changes if
you compare the original document and the one that is edited. To compare them:
1) Open the edited document. Select Edit > Track Changes > Compare Document or click
the Compare Non-Track Changed Document icon on the Track Changes toolbar.
2) A file browser dialog opens. Select the original document and click Open.
Writer finds and marks the changes and displays the Manage Changes dialog. From this point,
you can go through and accept or reject changes as described earlier.
To set the level of detail used by this feature, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer >
Comparison. See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.

Merging modified documents

The processes discussed to this point are effective when you have one reviewer at a time.
Sometimes, however, multiple reviewers all return edited copies of a document. Writer provides a
facility to merge documents containing tracked changes into the original document, but the
condition for making this work is very specific: the edited documents may differ only and
exclusively in the recorded changes – all other original text must be identical.
To merge documents, all of the edited documents (but not the original document) need to have
recorded changes in them.
1) Open the original document into which you want to merge all copies.
2) Click Edit > Track Changes > Merge Document or click the Merge Track Changed
Document icon on the Track Changes toolbar. A file selection dialog opens.

74 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 3) Select the edited copy of the document to be merged with the first. If there have been no
subsequent changes to the original document, the copy is merged into the original.
If any changes have been made to the original document, an error dialog appears that
informs you that the merge is unsuccessful.
4) After the documents merge, you will see the recorded changes from the copy in the
original document.
5) Repeat until all copies are merged.
All recorded changes are now included in the open copy. Save this file under another name.

Adding other comments

Writer provides another type of comment, which authors and reviewers can use to exchange
ideas, ask for suggestions, or mark items needing attention.
You can select a block of text, including multiple paragraphs, to be highlighted for a comment, or
you can insert a comment at a single point. To insert a comment, select the text, or place the
cursor in the place the comment refers to. Right-click and choose Insert > Comment or press
Ctrl+Alt+C or click the Insert Comment button (not the same as the Insert Track Change
Comment button) on the Track Changes toolbar.
The anchor point of the comment is connected by a dotted line to a box on the right-hand side of
the page where you can type the text of the comment. A Comments button is also added to the
right of the horizontal ruler (Figure 53); you can click this button to toggle the display of the
comments on and off.
Writer automatically adds the author’s name and a time stamp indicating when the comment was
created. Select Tools > Options > LibreOffice > User Data to enter or change the name you
want to appear in the Author field of the comment.
When you are finished typing the comment, click somewhere else on a page of the document.
Otherwise, you will not be able to move away from the comment box.
If more than one person edits the document, each author is automatically allocated a different
background color. Figure 53 shows an example of text with comments from two different authors.
If an author selects text that overlaps another author’s comments, then the comments from the
second author are nested with those of the first author.

Figure 53: Comments in LibreOffice

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 75

Right-click on a comment, or click the arrow in the lower left, to open a context menu where you
can delete the current comment, the whole current comment thread, all the comments from the
same author, or all the comments in the document. From this menu, you can also choose Format
all comments to open a dialog to apply some basic formatting to the text of the comment. You
can also change font type, size, and alignment on the Menu bar.
When the document has been reviewed and commented and requires your action, you can mark
each comment Resolved or Unresolved, using options on the comment’s context menu. When
you mark a comment resolved, the word Resolved is inserted under the date in the comment
box. You can toggle the display of all resolved comments in the document by using View >
Resolved Comments on the Menu bar. You can also add an answer to the comment.
To navigate from one comment to another, open the Navigator (F5), scroll to find and expand the
Comments section. Double-click the comment text to move the cursor to the anchor point of the
comment in the document.
You can also navigate the comments by selecting Comment in the Navigate By box at the top of
the Navigator and clicking the Up and Down arrows next to it, to move to the next or previous
comment. You can also navigate use the keyboard: Ctrl+Alt+Page Down moves to the next
comment and Ctrl+Alt+Page Up moves to the previous comment.
To print the comments in a document, choose one of the options in the Comments drop-down list
in the Print dialog (File > Print > LibreOffice Writer tab): Comments only, Place at end of
document, Place at end of page, Place in margins (Figure 54).

Figure 54: Options for printing comments

Using footnotes and endnotes

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page on which they are referenced. Endnotes are
collected at the end of a document.
To work effectively with footnotes and endnotes, you need to:
• Insert footnotes and define their format, if the default values do not meet your needs; see
below.
• Define the location of footnotes on the page, and the color and line style for separator
lines, if the defaults to not meet your needs. See Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics.

76 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Inserting footnotes and endnotes
To insert a footnote or an endnote:
1) Position the cursor where you want the footnote or endnote marker to appear.
2) Select Insert > Footnote and Endnote on the Menu bar and choose Footnote or
Endnote, or click the Insert Footnote or Insert Endnote button on the Standard toolbar.
3) A footnote or endnote marker is inserted in the text and, depending on your choice, the
cursor is relocated either to the footnote area at the bottom of the page or to the endnote
area at the end of the document. Type the footnote or endnote content in this area.
To change the default Footnote/Endnote settings, go to Tools > Footnotes and Endnotes on
the Menu bar.
To choose whether to use the automatic numbering sequence specified in the footnote settings or
specify a custom number, go to Insert > Footnote and Endnote > Footnote or Endnote on the
Menu bar to open the Insert Footnote/Endnote dialog (Figure 55).
You can edit an existing footnote or endnote in the same way you edit any other text.
To delete a footnote or endnote, delete the footnote marker. The contents of the footnote or
endnote are deleted automatically, and the numbering of other footnotes or endnotes is adjusted
automatically.

Figure 55: Inserting a footnote/endnote

Formatting footnotes and endnotes

To format the footnotes themselves, click Tools > Footnotes and Endnotes. On the
Footnotes/Endnotes Settings dialog (Figure 56), choose preferred settings.

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 77

 Figure 56: Defining footnote formatting

Linking to another part of a document

Typed cross-references to other parts of a document can easily get out of date if you reorganize
the order of topics, add or remove material, or reword a heading. Writer provides two ways to
ensure that references are up to date: hyperlinks and automatic cross-references. Both methods
can be used to link to other parts of the same document or to another document.
Both methods have the same result: if you Ctrl+click the link when the document is open in
Writer, you are taken directly to the cross-referenced item. However, they also have major
differences:
• The text in a hyperlink does not automatically update if you change the text of the linked
item (although you can change it manually), but changed text does automatically update
in a cross-reference.
• When using a hyperlink, you do not have a choice of the content of the link (for example
text or page number), but when using a cross-reference, you have several choices.
• To hyperlink to an object such as an image, and have the hyperlink show useful text such
as Figure 6, either give such an object a useful name instead of leaving it as the default
name (“Image12”), which may not correspond to the object’s position in the document, or
use the Hyperlink dialog to modify the visible text. In contrast, cross-references to figures
with captions can be set to automatically show useful text, and you have a choice of
several variations of the name.
• If you save a Writer document to HTML, hyperlinks remain active but cross-references do
not. (Both remain active when the document is exported to PDF.)

Using cross-references
To ensure that the text of cross-references update if you reword a heading, caption, or other
linked item, use automatic cross-references. For details, see Chapter 17, Fields.

Using bookmarks
Bookmarks are listed in the Navigator and can be accessed directly from there with a single
mouse click. In HTML documents, bookmarks are converted to anchors that you can jump to by
hyperlink. You can also cross-reference to a bookmark. For more information, see Chapter 17.

78 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Using hyperlinks
When you type text (such as website addresses or URL) that can be used as a hyperlink, and
then press the spacebar or the Enter key, Writer automatically creates the hyperlink and applies
formatting to the text (usually a color and underlining).
If this does not happen, you can enable this feature using Tools > AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect
Options. On the Options tab, select the URL Recognition option.
If you do not want LibreOffice to convert a specific URL to a hyperlink, you can go to Edit > Undo
on the Menu bar, or press Ctrl+Z immediately after the formatting has been applied, or place
the cursor in the hyperlink, right-click, and select Remove Hyperlink in the context menu.
You can also insert hyperlinks to other parts of your document, to other documents or parts of
documents, and to email addresses, using the Navigator and the Hyperlink dialog, and you can
modify all hyperlinks using the Hyperlink dialog. For details, see Chapter 12, Creating HTML
Files, in the Getting Started Guide.
The standard (default) behavior for activating hyperlinks within LibreOffice is to use Ctrl+click.
To change this behavior, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Security, click the Options
button next to Security Options and Warnings, and deselect Ctrl-click required to open
hyperlinks. If clicking in your links activates them, check that page to see if the option has been
deselected.

Editing hyperlinks
To edit a hyperlink, click anywhere in the link text and then open the Hyperlink dialog by right-
clicking and choosing Edit Hyperlink in the context menu, or clicking the Hyperlink icon on the
Standard Toolbar, or choosing Edit > Hyperlink on the Menu bar. Make your changes and click
Apply. If you need to edit several hyperlinks, you can leave the Hyperlink dialog open until you
have edited all of them. Be sure to click Apply after each one. When you are finished, click
Close.
To change the color of hyperlinks, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Application Colors,
scroll to Unvisited links and/or Visited links in the General section, select those options, pick
the new colors, and click OK. This will change the color for all hyperlinks in all components of
LibreOffice, which may not be what you want.

Rearranging headings and text using the Navigator

You can use the Navigator (Figure 57) to move headings and their associated text to another
location in a document by doing the following:
1) If necessary, click the expansion symbol (+ sign or arrow) to the left of a heading to
expand the list of subheadings.
2) (Optional) If you have several subheading levels, you can more easily find the headings
you want by changing the Heading Levels Shown selection to show only 1 or 2 levels of
headings.
3) Click the heading of the block of text that you want to move and drag the heading to a
new location on the Navigator. Or, click the heading in the Navigator list, and then click
either the Promote Chapter or Demote Chapter icon. All of the text and subsections
under the selected heading with it move up or down in the document.
To move only the selected heading and not the text associated with the heading, hold
down Ctrl, and then click the Promote Chapter or Demote Chapter icon.

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 79

 Figure 57: Promote/Demote in Navigator
1 Promote Level 3 Promote Chapter 5 Heading Levels Shown
2 Demote Level 4 Demote Chapter

Tip
The names Promote Chapter and Demote Chapter might be better described as
Move Up or Move Down (within the document, without changing the heading level) to
distinguish them more clearly from Promote Level and Demote Level, which
change the heading level—from Level 1 to Level 2, for example.

To quickly change the outline level of a heading:

• To change the outline level of a heading and its associated subheadings, select the
heading in the Navigator, then click either the Promote Level or Demote Level icon.
This action does not change the location of the headings, only their levels.
• To change the outline level of only the selected heading, but not its associated
subheadings, hold down Ctrl, and then click the Promote Level or Demote Level icon.

Outline folding
Using outline folding, you can hide and show all content under headings, including text, images,
tables, frames, shapes, and text boxes. In large documents, this feature can help you quickly
scroll to the right position for editing and reading.

Note
To enable this feature, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > View (macOS:
LibreOffice > Preferences > LibreOffice Writer > View) and select Show outline-
folding buttons. Optionally select Include sub levels.

Using the Navigator

Open the Navigator (F5) and display the Headings entries. Right-click on a heading in the
Navigator and select Outline Folding > Toggle from the context menu to hide or show the
content under between that heading and the next heading of the same level.

80 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Using a mouse
When you hover the mouse pointer over a heading, a small arrow appears in the left margin to
indicate that outline folding is enabled. A down arrow indicates the heading and its contents are
visible. A left arrow indicates the heading has hidden contents.
Press the Control key (Command on macOS). When the mouse pointer changes shape, click to
hide or show the content between that heading to the next heading of the same level.

Saving, printing, and exporting folded contents

Documents saved in Open Document Format (.odt) will retain the current settings of hidden and
shown contents. The document contents are not affected by the folding settings.

Note
Hidden (folded) contents will not be printed or exported to PDF. To print or export the
full document, be sure to toggle off outline folding.

Inserting material from other documents

You may wish to reuse material from other files in the document you are writing. For example,
you might be writing a set of instructions that include some common paragraphs. You could, of
course, retype or copy and paste the common paragraphs into each document. However, if the
common paragraphs are edited, you may need to update that information in every document
where it occurs.
Writer provides some tools for making these tasks easier:
• The Section dialog, described in Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced.
• Two items in the Navigator’s drag modes, described below.
To use the Navigator tools, first select the item you want to insert from the source document, then
choose Insert as Link or Insert as Copy. You cannot create links or copies of graphics, OLE
objects, references, or indexes using this method.
Insert as Link
Inserts the selected item as a link where you drag and drop in the current document. Text
is inserted as a protected section, marked as linked to the source document. The content
of the link is automatically updated when the source is changed. To manually update the
links in a document, choose Tools > Update > Links.
Insert as Copy
Inserts an independent copy of the selected item where you drag and drop in the current
document. Text is in a section, but it is not protected. Copied items are not updated when
the source is changed. You can remove the section, leaving the contents as normal text.

Line numbering
Line numbers in the margin are often used in legal documents, poetry, and lists of programming
code. Writer can insert line numbers in an entire document or for selected paragraphs. Line
numbers are included when you print the document. You can also add a separator between line
numbers. Figure 58 shows an example with numbering on every line.
You can choose how many lines are numbered (for example, every line or every tenth line), the
numbering type, and whether numbers restart on each page. In addition, a text separator (any
text you choose) can be set on a different numbering scheme (one every 12 lines, for example).

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 81

To add line numbers to an entire document, click Tools > Line Numbering and select the Show
numbering option in the top left corner of the Line Numbering dialog (Figure 59). Then select
any options you want and click OK.

Figure 58: Line numbering example

Figure 59: Line Numbering dialog

To disable line numbering for the entire document, you can edit the Default Paragraph Style
(because all paragraph styles are based on the Default Paragraph Style):
1) In the Sidebar, go to the Styles pane and click the Paragraph Styles icon.
2) Right-click on the Default Paragraph Style and choose Modify.
3) Click the Outline & List tab (Figure 60).
4) In the Line Numbering area, deselect Include this paragraph in line numbering.
5) Click OK.

82 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 60: Disabling line numbering for a document
To enable line numbering for specific paragraphs:
1) First disable the feature for the document (as above), then select the paragraphs where
you want to add the line numbers.
2) Choose Format > Paragraph, or right-click and choose Paragraph > Paragraph on the
context menu.
3) On the Outline & List tab of the Paragraph dialog, select Include this paragraph in line
numbering.
4) Click OK.
Alternatively, you can disable line numbering for specific paragraphs (while leaving most of them
enabled) by selecting the paragraphs, choosing Format > Paragraph or right-clicking and
choosing Paragraph > Paragraph on the context menu, then going to the Outline & List tab and
deselecting Include this paragraph in line numbering.
You can also create a paragraph style that includes line numbering, and apply it to the
paragraphs that you want to add line numbers to. For example, to number the lines of example
code in a document, you will probably want to use a font or indentation that is different from
normal text.
To specify the starting line number:
1) Click in the paragraph and choose Format > Paragraph or right-click and choose
Paragraph > Paragraph on the context menu.
2) On the Outline & List tab, make sure Include this paragraph in line numbering is
selected.
3) Select Restart at this paragraph and enter a line number in the Start with box.
4) Click OK.

Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced | 83

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 4,
Formatting Text
Introduction
This chapter covers the basics of formatting text in Writer, the word-processing component of
LibreOffice:
• Formatting paragraphs and characters
• Using autoformatting
• Creating unordered, ordered, and outline lists
It assumes that you are familiar with the text techniques described in Chapter 2, Working with
Text: Basics and Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced.
We recommend that you also follow the suggestions in Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, about
displaying formatting aids, such as end-of-paragraph marks, and selecting other setup options.
Page formatting is covered in Chapters 5 and 6.

Formatting: direct (manual) or styles

There are two basic ways to format text:
Direct (or Manual) formatting
Applies formatting directly to specific paragraphs, characters, pages, frames, lists, or
tables. For example, you can select a word, then click on a button on the Formatting
toolbar to format the text as bold or italics.
Styles
Bundles formatting options under one name. For example, a paragraph style defines
numerous settings for options such as font type and size, whether paragraphs should be
indented, the space between lines, how paragraphs should be aligned on the page, and
many others.

Using styles is recommended

Writer is a style-based program. Because styles apply whole groups of formats at the same time,
they enable you to easily format a document consistently and to change the formatting of an
entire document with minimal effort. Therefore, the use of paragraph and character styles is
highly recommended.
In addition, styles are used by LibreOffice for many processes, even if you are not aware of them.
For example, Writer relies on heading styles (or other styles you specify) when it compiles a table
of contents.
For information on styles and how to use them, see Chapters 8 and 9 in this book.
Applying styles is quick and easy using the Styles deck of the Sidebar.

Removing manual formatting

Note
Manual formatting overrides styles, and you cannot get rid of the manual formatting
by applying a style to it.

To remove manual formatting, select the text and choose Format > Clear Direct Formatting on
the Menu bar, or right-click and choose Clear Direct Formatting on the context menu, or click
the Clear Direct Formatting icon on the Formatting toolbar, or press Ctrl+M on the keyboard.

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 85

Formatting paragraphs using styles
Styles can be applied to paragraphs in several ways; see Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles:
• Set Paragraph Style drop-down list at the left end of the Formatting toolbar and the
Formatting (Styles) toolbar
• Set Paragraph Style drop-down list at the top of the Properties deck of the Sidebar
• Paragraph Styles tab of the Styles deck on the Sidebar
• Styles menu on the Menu Bar (limited to common styles)
• Keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+5 (paragraph styles Heading 1 to Heading 5)
• Formatting (Styles) toolbar using View > Toolbars > Formatting (Styles); see Figure 61.

Figure 61: Formatting (Styles) toolbar

Formatting paragraphs directly

You can apply many formats to paragraphs using the icons on the Formatting toolbar and on the
Paragraph panel of the Sidebar’s Properties deck (View > Sidebar) or commands on the Format
menu on the Menu bar. Other formatting options are provided in the Paragraph dialog (page
104).

Formatting toolbar
On the Formatting toolbar, the icons and formats include:
• Set Paragraph Style (drop-down list)
• Align Left, Align Center, Align Right, Justified
• Align Top, Center Vertically, Align Bottom
• Toggle Unordered List (with a palette of bullet types)
• Toggle Ordered List (with a palette of numbering types)
• Select Outline Format (with a palette of outline types)
• Increase Paragraph Spacing, Decrease Paragraph Spacing
• Increase Indent, Decrease Indent, Hanging Indent
• Paragraph (to open the Paragraph dialog)
• Set Line Spacing (choose from 1, 1.15, 1.5, 2, or custom spacing)
Not all toolbar icons are visible in a standard installation, but you can customize the toolbar to
include those you use regularly; see Chapter 1, Introducing Writer.

Sidebar Properties deck

The Sidebar Properties deck (Figure 62) includes panels for applying styles, manually formatting
characters, and manually formatting paragraphs. click the expansion symbol (+ or triangle) to
open the panels if necessary.
Style panel
Includes the Set Paragraph Style drop-down list and icons for Clone Formatting, Update
Selected Style, and New Style from Selection. These tools are described in Chapter 8,
Introduction to Styles.

86 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Character panel
See Figure 76 on page 109 and the description starting on page 108.
Paragraph panel
Contains most of the formatting controls, including several that are not found on the
Formatting toolbar. Clicking the down-arrow by a button opens the control for further
choices, such as fixed line spacing or color palette.
Each panel’s title bar has a More Options icon on the right, which opens the relevant dialog
(Paragraph Style, Character, or Paragraph) containing additional settings. Changing the values of
any of these settings affects only the paragraph where the cursor is located, or several
paragraphs if more than one are selected. If you wish to change the values for many paragraphs
of that type, you should use a paragraph style.

1 Align Left 8 Background Color 15 Below Paragraph Spacing

2 Align Center 9 Increase Paragraph Spacing 16 Before Text Indent
3 Align Right 10 Decrease Paragraph Spacing 17 After Text Indent
4 Justified 11 Increase Indent 18 First Line Indent
5 Toggle Unordered List 12 Decrease Indent 19 Set Line Spacing
6 Toggle Ordered List 13 Hanging Indent More Options – opens
20
7 No List 14 Above Paragraph Spacing relevant dialog
Figure 62: Paragraph panel of the Properties deck in the Sidebar

Alignment options
You can use the icons labelled 1–4 in Figure 62 to choose the alignment of a paragraph: Left,
Right, Centered, or Justified. Figure 63 shows examples of the alignment options applied to text.

Figure 63: Text alignment options

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 87

When using justified text, the last line is by default aligned to the left. However, you can also align
the last line to the center of the paragraph area or justify it so that spaces are increased between
the words in order to fill the whole line. If you select the Expand single word option, then
whenever the last line of a justified paragraph consists of a single word, this word is stretched by
inserting spaces between characters so that it occupies the full length of the line.
Figure 64 shows an example of the effect obtained when choosing each of these options for a
typical text font. In most cases, leave the setting on the default (left-aligned); but for some
dramatic purposes (such as a very large font on a poster), you might prefer one of the other
choices.

Figure 64: Examples of choices for the last line of a justified paragraph
These options are controlled in the Alignment tab of the Paragraph dialog (Figure 65), reached
by choosing Format > Paragraph on the Menu bar, or by right-clicking in the paragraph and
selecting Paragraph in the context menu, or by clicking the More Options button on the
Paragraph panel in the Properties deck of the Sidebar.

Figure 65: Options for the last line of a justified paragraph

Line and paragraph spacing

Set Line spacing (icon 19, Figure 62) refers to the distance from one baseline (the imaginary line
at the bottom of a letter like “n” or “m”) to the next baseline. It is determined by the size of the
font, as illustrated in Figure 66.

88 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The Line Spacing submenu is shown in Figure 67. Here you can choose among standard
spacings or define a custom value: Proportional (for example, 110%), At least (the amount
specified in the Value box), Leading, or Fixed. To see the differences between these choices, do
a few sample paragraphs and change the selections.

Figure 66: Line spacing is the distance between two baselines

Note
All options except Fixed or At Least use the font’s default. These two options allow
you to set your own spacing, which is especially useful at small font sizes to increase
readability.

Figure 67: Line spacing submenu

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 89

Paragraph spacing refers to the vertical spacing between one paragraph and the paragraphs
above and below it. As shown in Figure 62, the current values are shown in the Above Paragraph
Spacing box (14) and the Below Paragraph Spacing box (15). You can change either or both of
these settings independently.

Tip
Paragraph spacing is often used in computer documentation, such as this book.
Paragraph indentation (see next topic) is more commonly used in other documents.
For good design, use paragraph spacing or paragraph indentation, never both.

Paragraph indentation
You can use the icons labelled 11, 12, and 32 in Figure 62 to increase the amount of space to
leave between the left and right page margins and the paragraph.
The distances are determined by settings 16 (Before Text Indent; that is, from the left margin), 17
(After Text Indent; that is, from the right margin), and 18 (First Line Indent, which indents the first
line from the left margin, or from the specified indentation from the margin).
Button 13, Hanging Indent, leaves the first line at the left margin (or the specified indentation from
the margin) and indents all the other lines of the paragraph by the amount specified by button 18
or in the Paragraph dialog.

Note
In right-to-left languages, the behavior of the Before Text and After Text indents is the
opposite: “before” is on the right margin; “after” is on the left margin.

Paragraph background color

Click the button labeled 8 in Figure 62 to open a palette from which you can choose a color for
the background of the paragraph. In this palette (Figure 68), you can also click Custom Color to
open the Pick a Color dialog, where you can define new colors to be added to the palette.

Note
If the paragraph has been indented from the right or left margin, the background
color is not applied to the area of the indent. To extend the color to the margin, use a
frame, table, or other method; see Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced.

90 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 68: Selecting a background color for a paragraph

Settings on the Paragraph dialog

The paragraph dialog includes several more tabs: Tabs (covered in “Setting tab stops and
indents” on page 107), Borders, Drop Caps, Area (more choices than just color), Transparency,
Text Flow, and Outline & List. For more information, see Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles, and
Chapter 9, Working with Styles.

Borders
Borders are useful for setting a paragraph off from the surrounding text, to include digressions
from the main topic. For example, the Tips, Notes, and Cautions in this book use a border below
the text.

Figure 69: Options for paragraph borders

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 91

You can add borders to any combination of top, bottom, and sides of paragraphs. You can
choose the style (solid, dotted, dashed, doubled), width, and color of the lines; these choices
apply to all borders on a paragraph. The spacing from each line to the paragraph’s contents can
be set individually for the top, bottom, left, and right.
On the Borders tab of the Paragraph dialog (Figure 69), you can also choose to apply a shadow
to a paragraph; “distance” refers to the width of the shadow.
Select the Merge with next paragraph option to suppress top or bottom lines when the indent,
border, and shadow styles of the next paragraph are the same as the current paragraph.

Drop caps
Drop capitals are enlarged letters that mark the start of a new chapter or section. To improve
consistency, they are best set up in a paragraph style that you apply to the relevant paragraphs.
See Chapter 9, Working with Styles, for details.

Area
Area (also called “fill” and “background” in some parts of LibreOffice) includes five types of fill
(background): color, gradient, image, pattern, and hatching. Select a fill type to display the
choices available for that type. These choices are covered in more detail in Chapter 5,
Formatting Pages: Basics. You can also create your own fills.

Figure 70: Types of fill for paragraph backgrounds

Transparency
Transparency affects the paragraph’s background. It is useful for creating watermarks and
making colors or images more pale (for more contrast with the text). The available choices are
shown in Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics, and are covered in detail in the Draw Guide.

Text Flow
The Text Flow tab (Figure 71) has several sections. Hyphenation is covered in Chapter 2,
Working with Text: Basics, and breaks are covered in Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics.
In the Options section, you can specify how paragraphs are treated at the bottom of a page. Do
not split paragraph and Keep with next paragraph should be self-explanatory. The other options
allow you to avoid a single line at the bottom of a page (called an orphan) or a single line at the
top of a page (a widow).

92 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 71: Options for text flow: hyphenation, breaks, and keeping text together

Outline & List

The Outline & List tab in the Paragraph dialog provides options for choosing the outline level of
the paragraph and its list style (if any). If the paragraph is part of an ordered list, you can specify
that list numbering restarts at the paragraph, and what number to restart with.
This tab does not cover the same functions as the Chapter Numbering dialog (Tools > Chapter
Numbering), but the Outline level selected here is related to the outline defined there. See
Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles, and Chapter 9, Working with Styles, for a discussion of these
features. Line numbering is discussed in Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced.

Figure 72: Selecting outline level, paragraph numbering, and line numbering

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 93

Setting tab stops and indents
The horizontal ruler shows the tab stops. Any tab stops that you have defined will overwrite the
default tab stops. Tab settings affect indentation of full paragraphs (using the Increase Indent
and Decrease Indent icons on the Formatting toolbar or the Paragraph panel of the Properties
deck in the Sidebar) as well as indentation of parts of a paragraph (by pressing the Tab key on
the keyboard).

Tip
Many indents, for example at the beginning of a paragraph, can be set in the
paragraph style, so you don’t need to use the Tab key to activate them.

Using the default tab spacing can cause formatting problems if you share documents with other
people. If you use the default tab spacing and then send the document to someone else who has
chosen a different default tab spacing, tabbed material will change to use the other person’s
settings. Instead of using the defaults, define your own tab settings, as described in this section.
To define indents and tab settings for one or more selected paragraphs, right-click a paragraph
and choose Paragraph to open the Paragraph dialog; then select either the Tabs tab (Figure 73)
or the Indents & Spacing tab of the dialog. Alternatively, you can double-click the horizontal ruler
to open the Indents & Spacing tab of the Paragraph dialog. A better strategy is to define tabs for
the paragraph style. Refer to Chapters 8 and 9 for more about paragraph styles.

Figure 73: Specifying tab stops and fill characters

Tip
Using tabs to space out material on a page is not recommended. Depending on what
you are trying to accomplish, a table or frame is usually a better choice.

Changing the default tab stop interval

Caution
Any changes to the default tab setting will affect the existing default tab stops in any
document you open afterward, as well as tab stops you insert after making the
change.

To set the measurement unit and the spacing of default tab stop intervals, go to Tools > Options
> LibreOffice Writer > General.

94 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 74: Selecting a default tab stop interval

Changing measurement units for tab stops and rulers

You can also set or change the measurement unit for rulers in the current document by right-
clicking on the ruler to open a list of units, as shown in Figure 75 for the horizontal ruler. Click one
of them to change the ruler to that unit. The selected setting applies only to that ruler.

Figure 75: Changing the measurement unit for a ruler

Formatting characters using styles

To apply a character style, highlight the characters or words and apply the selected character
style from any of the following:
• Character Styles tab of the Styles deck on the Sidebar
• Styles menu on the Menu bar (limited)
• Right-click context menu (limited)
• Formatting (Styles) toolbar (Figure 61)
For more about character styles, refer to Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles, and Chapter 9,
Working with Styles.

Formatting characters directly

You can apply many formats to characters using the icons on the Formatting toolbar and by using
the Characters panel of the Properties deck of the Sidebar. Not all toolbar icons are visible in a
standard installation, but you can customize the toolbar to include those you use regularly; see
Chapter 1, Introducing Writer. These formats include:
• Font Name, Font Size
• Bold, Italic, Underline, Double Underline, Overline, Strikethrough, Outline
• Superscript, Subscript
• Uppercase, Lowercase
• Increase Font Size, Decrease Font Size
• Font Color (with a palette of colors)
• Background Color (with a palette of colors)
• Character Highlighting Color (with a palette of colors)

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 95

To change the characteristics of an entire paragraph (for example the font name, size, or color),
and for many other purposes, it is highly recommended that you use styles rather than manually
formatting characters. For information on styles and how to use them, see Chapters 8 and 9.
Applying styles is quick and easy using the Styles deck of the Sidebar.
Figure 76 shows the Character panel in the Properties deck of the Sidebar. Clicking the down-
arrow next to a button opens the control for further choices, such as font color or character
spacing. The appearance of the icons may vary with your operating system and the selection of
icon size and style in Tools > Options > LibreOffice > View.
Click the More Options button (16) to open the Character dialog, which includes more choices
than are available through the Formatting toolbar or the Sidebar.

Note
Just as direct paragraph formatting overrides the current paragraph style, applying
direct character formatting to characters overrides the current character style
formatting.

Font name, size, and effects

To change the font name and size used for selected characters, you can use the drop-down
menus on the Formatting toolbar, the Character panel in the Sidebar, or the Character dialog.
Similarly, you can apply bold, italics, underline, strikethrough, or shadow effects to selected
characters on the Formatting toolbar, the Character panel in the Sidebar, or the Character dialog.
The Underline effect has a drop-down menu of line types (Figure 77).
The Formatting toolbar includes other effects that are not in the Sidebar: overline and double
underline; these icons may not be visible in a default installation.
To choose the color of the font or its highlighting, open the appropriate color palette (10 or 11;
similar to the one shown in Figure 68). The highlighting selection over-rides any background
color that has been applied to the paragraph.

1 Font Name 6 Strikethrough 11 Highlight Color

2 Font Size 7 Toggle Shadow 12 Clear Direct Formatting
3 Bold 8 Increase Font Size13 Set Character Spacing
4 Italic 9 Decrease Font Size14 Superscript
5 Underline 10 Font Color 15 Subscript
16 More Options – opens Character dialog
Figure 76: Character panel in the Properties deck of the Sidebar

96 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 77: Selecting the line
style for the Underline effect
To increase or decrease the font size of selected characters, you can click the relevant icons on
the Formatting toolbar or the Character panel on the Sidebar; however, you have no control over
the amount of the increase or decrease, which is usually 2 points. For finer control, use the Font
Size drop-down list instead.
To change characters into subscripts or superscripts (using the default values for size and
position), select them and click the relevant icons on the Formatting toolbar or the Character
panel in the Sidebar. For more control, use the Character dialog.
To quickly change the spacing between characters, select them and choose from the Character
Spacing drop-down menu in the Sidebar (Figure 78).

Figure 78: Changing character spacing

Settings on the Character dialog

The Character dialog has six tabs, described in this section. Most of these tabs are the same as
the tabs on the Character Style dialog (see Chapter 9, Working with Styles).

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 97

 Figure 79: Font tab of the Character dialog

Font and Font Effects

On the Font tab (Figure 79), you can specify the font’s family, style (choices vary with the font,
but typically include regular, bold, and italic), and size; and the language for the paragraph, if it
differs from the language for the document. The box at the bottom shows a preview of the
selections.
On the Font Effects tab (Figure 80), you can choose the color of the font and a range of effects,
many of which are not suitable for formal documents. Figures 81 and 82 show the choices in
some of the drop-down lists.

Figure 80: Font Effects tab of the Character dialog

98 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 81: Choices for Case effect

Figure 82: Choices for strikethrough and relief

Position
The Position tab (Figure 83) collects the options that affect the position of text on the page. This
tab is divided into three sections: Position, Rotation/Scaling, and Spacing.
The Position section controls the appearance of superscripts and subscripts.
The Rotation/Scaling section controls the rotation of the characters. The Scale width box controls
the percentage of the font width by which to compress or stretch the rotated text.
The Spacing section controls the spacing between individual characters. The Pair Kerning option
(selected by default) automatically adjusts the character spacing for specific letter combinations.
Pair Kerning is only available for certain font types and, for printed documents, works only if your
printer supports it.

Figure 83: Position tab of the Character dialog

Hyperlink
The Hyperlink tab of the Character dialog is an alternative to using the Hyperlink dialog (Insert >
Hyperlink). It includes fewer choices and is specifically for text (not button) links. Hyperlinks can
be to other parts of the same document, to other documents, or to web pages.

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 99

 Figure 84: Hyperlink tab of the Character dialog
When LibreOffice recognizes a string of characters that may be a URL (internet address), it
replaces the characters with a hyperlink and formats the hyperlink as specified in the Internet
Link character style. On this dialog you can choose a different character style (if the style has
been defined previously) or replace the URL with other text. To turn off this feature, choose Tools
> AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect Options, go to the Options tab and deselect URL Recognition.
For more about creating and editing hyperlinks, see the Help system or the Getting Started
Guide.

Highlighting
The Highlighting tab controls the background color for selected characters. It is similar to the
Highlighting drop-down palette.

Borders
The Borders tab is the same as the Borders tab on the Paragraph dialog; see page 104.

Formatting lists using styles

Whenever possible, use paragraph styles for creating unordered (bulleted) and ordered
(numbered) lists. Writer comes with two sets of paragraph styles for this purpose. However, these
styles do not include options for settings such as the type of bullet or position of numbers. Those
settings come from list styles, which are intended to be attached to paragraph styles. It is
recommended to use them together in these ways:
• Use paragraph styles List 1, List 2, List 3, and so on for creating unordered lists. These
styles use Bullet list styles.
• Use paragraph styles Numbering 1, Numbering 2, Numbering 3, etc, for creating ordered
lists. These styles use the list styles called Numbering 1, Numbering 2, etc.
With paragraph styles, you can easily create nested lists, in which list items have sub-items
under them, as in an outline. This requires specifying the settings for the additional levels. Once
you have set up nested lists, you can readily change the hierarchy of an item. To demote an item
one level, position the cursor at the beginning of the line (after the bullet or number) and press
the Tab key. To promote an item one level, press Shift+Tab.
For more about creating lists using styles, see Chapters 8 (Introduction to Styles), 9 (Working
with Styles) and 12 (Lists).

100 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Formatting lists directly
You can directly format ordered or unordered lists in several ways:
• Use the Bullets and Numbering toolbar (Figure 85).
• Use the Toggle Unordered List and Toggle Ordered List icons on the Formatting
toolbar, the Formatting (Styles) toolbar, or the Paragraph panel of the Properties deck of
the Sidebar (Figure 62).
• Use the Bullets and Numbering dialog (Figures 87 and 88).
To produce a simple ordered or unordered list, select the paragraphs in the list and then click the
appropriate icon on the Paragraph panel on the toolbar.

Tip
It is a matter of personal preference whether you type your information first, then
apply numbering/bullets or apply these as you type.

Note
Bullets and numbering applied in these ways cannot be removed with Format >
Clear Direct Formatting on the Menu bar, or with the Clear Direct Formatting icon
on the Formatting toolbar, or with Clear Direct Formatting in the context menu, or
by using Ctrl+M. Rather, they are turned off or removed from selected text by
toggling the relevant icons on the Formatting toolbar or on the Sidebar Properties
deck.

Using the Bullets and Numbering toolbar

You can create a nested list (where one or more list items has a sub-list under it, as in an outline)
by using the icons on the Bullets and Numbering toolbar (Figure 85). You can move items up or
down the list, create subpoints, change the style of bullets, add paragraphs without numbers or
bullets (for list items that include more than one paragraph), and access the Bullets and
Numbering dialog, which contains more detailed controls.
Use View > Toolbars > Bullets and Numbering to display the toolbar.

1 Demote One Level 5 Move Item Down 9 Insert Unnumbered Entry

2 Promote One Level 6 Move Item Up 10 Toggle Restart Numbering
3 Demote One Level with Move Item Down with
7 11 Add to List
Subpoints Subpoints
4 Promote One Level with 8 Move Item Up with 12 Bullets and Numbering
Subpoints Subpoints (opens the dialog)
Figure 85: Bullets and Numbering toolbar

Tip
You can use keyboard shortcuts to move paragraphs up or down the outline levels.
Place the cursor at the beginning of the numbered paragraph and press:
Tab: Down a level or Shift+Tab: Up a level

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 101

 Tip
To insert a tab stop at the beginning of a numbered paragraph (that is, after the
number but before the text), press Ctrl+Tab.

If you create a nested list using the icons on the Bullets and Numbering toolbar, all the levels of
the list (up to 10) initially apply the same numbering (or bullet) format. To use a combination of
numbering formats and bullets when creating nested lists, you can:
• Click in each list item and then select one of the choices in the drop-down palettes under
the Toggle Unordered List and Toggle Ordered List icons on the Formatting toolbar or the
Properties deck of the Sidebar.
• Use the Bullets and Numbering dialog.
A much better strategy is to define and apply a list style, as discussed in Chapter 12, Lists.

Using the Bullets and Numbering palettes on the Sidebar

On the Paragraph panel on the Properties deck of the Sidebar, click the arrow next to the Toggle
Unordered List control to open a palette of bullet styles or click the arrow next to the Toggle
Ordered List control to open a palette of numbering styles.
The selections on these palettes (Figure 86) can be used to create nested lists and access the
Bullets and Numbering dialog. The Sidebar does not include tools for promoting and demoting
items in the list, as found on the Bullets and Numbering toolbar.

Figure 86: Bullets and Numbering choices on the Properties deck of the Sidebar

Using the Bullets and Numbering dialog

The Bullets and Numbering dialog has six tabs. Four tabs provide pre-defined symbols and
sequences to choose from: Unordered, Ordered, Outline (choose from eight standard outline
sequences), and Image (choose a bullet image). Two tabs provide detailed options for defining
your own lists: Position (Figure 87) and Customize (Figure 88). These are the same as the tabs
provided for list styles, discussed in Chapter 12, Lists.

102 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 87: Position tab of the Bullets and Numbering dialog

Figure 88: Customize tab of the Bullets and Numbering dialog

Autoformatting
You can set Writer to automatically format parts of a document according to the choices made on
the Options and Localized Options tabs of the AutoCorrect dialog (Tools > AutoCorrect >
AutoCorrect Options). The Help describes each of these choices and how to activate the
autoformats.

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 103

 Tip
If you notice unexpected formatting changes occurring in your document, this is a
good place to look for the cause.

To automatically format the file according to the options you have set, choose Tools >
AutoCorrect and select or deselect the items on the submenu.
While Typing
Automatically formats the document while you type.
Apply
Automatically formats the document.
Apply and Edit Changes
Automatically formats the file and then opens a dialog where you can accept or reject the
changes.
AutoCorrect Options
Opens the AutoCorrect dialog (Figures 89 and 90), where you can choose the
autoformatting you want.
The Localized Options tab (Figure 89) controls the formatting of quotation marks and
apostrophes (which look like a closing single quote). Most fonts include curly quotation marks
(also known as “smart quotes”), but for some purposes (such as marking minutes and seconds of
latitude and longitude) you may wish to format them as straight quotes.
Straight quotes Smart quotes

'' "" ‘’ “”

Figure 89: Autoformatting quotation marks

104 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Tip
Most people keep the AutoCorrect setting for smart quotes and use the Special
Characters dialog to insert straight quotes when needed. See Chapter 2, Working
with Text: Basics.

Figure 90: Autoformatting choices on the Options tab

Chapter 4, Formatting Text | 105

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 5,
Formatting Pages: Basics
Page styles and related features
Introduction
Writer provides several ways for you to control page layouts. This chapter describes the use of
page styles and some associated functions:
• Margins
• Page breaks
• Headers and footers
• Page numbering
• Title pages
• Footnotes and endnotes
Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced covers the use of columns, frames, tables, and sections;
changing page orientation within a document; and the use of borders and backgrounds. Some
other uses of page styles are discussed in Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles. The Page Style
dialog is covered in detail in Chapter 9, Working with Styles.

Note
All pages in a Writer document are based on page styles. The other layout methods
(described in Chapter 6) build upon the underlying page style.

Tip
Page layout is usually easier if you select the options to show text, object, table, and
section boundaries in Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Application Colors and the
options for paragraph ends, tabs, breaks, and other items in Tools > Options >
LibreOffice Writer > Formatting Aids.

Setting up basic page layout using styles

In Writer, page styles define the basic layout of all pages, including page size, margins, the
placement of headers and footers, borders and backgrounds, number of columns, page
numbers, and so on.
Writer comes with several page styles, which you can build on or modify, and you can define new
(custom) page styles. You can have one or many page styles in a single document. If you do not
specify a page style, Writer uses the Default Page Style.
To change the layout of individual pages, either define a new page style or use one of the
techniques (sections, frames, or tables) described in Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced.

Note
For some documents, all layout changes (such as the position of page numbers and
other elements in a header or footer on facing pages) can be defined in a single
page style.

Tip
Any modifications of page styles, including the Default Page Style, apply only to the
document you are working on. If you want the changes to be the default for all
documents, you need to put the changes into a template and make that template the
default template. See Chapter 10, Working with Templates, for details.

Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics | 107

Changing page margins
You can change page margins in these ways:
• Using the page rulers—quick and easy, but does not have fine control.
• Using the Page Style dialog—can specify margins to two decimal places.
• Using the Page deck in the Sidebar—changes all margins to the same value.

Note
If you change the margins using any of these methods, the new margins are
recorded in the page style and affect all pages that use that style. The new margins
will be shown in the Page Style dialog the next time you open it.
If you want to change the margins on some pages, but not others, you must use
different page styles and switch between them; see “Inserting page breaks” on page
126.

To change margins using the rulers:

1) The shaded sections of the rulers are the margins (Figure 91). Put the mouse pointer over
the line between the gray and white sections. The pointer turns into a double-headed
arrow (or some other symbol, depending on your operating system) and displays the
current setting in a tooltip.
2) Hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse to move the margin.

Figure 91: Moving the margins

Note
The small arrows on the ruler are used for indenting paragraphs. They are often in
the same place as the page margins, so you need to be careful to move the margin
marker, not the arrows. The double-headed arrows shown in Figure 91 are the
mouse pointers placed in the correct position.

Tip
After making a change, passing the mouse pointer over the new margin will show its
new measurement.

To change margins using the Page Style dialog:

1) Right-click anywhere on the page and select Page Style in the context menu.

108 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 2) On the Page tab of the dialog (Figure 92), type the required distances in the Margins
boxes. The Gutter margin is the extra space to leave between the left (or inner) edge of
the page and the left (or inner) margin. Alternatively, you can leave the Gutter set to zero
and add the gutter margin amount to the left or inner margin value.
3) Click OK to save.

Figure 92: Page tab of Page Style dialog

To change margins using the Page deck in the Sidebar, choose one of the preset margins in the
drop-down list (Figure 93). You can also access the Page Style dialog from the symbol at the top
right of the Format section’s title bar.

Figure 93: Changing margins using the Sidebar

Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics | 109

 Note
Changing the margin on the Sidebar changes all four margins to the same
dimension. Use another method if you want margins of different sizes.

Inserting page breaks

In many documents (for example, a multi-page report), you want the text to flow from one page to
the next as you add or delete information. Writer does this automatically, unless you override the
text flow using one of the techniques described in this section.

Controlling automatic page breaks

You can control some of the automatic text flow in several ways, including:
• Use the Keep with next paragraph option, for example to prevent the lead-in sentence
to a list from being separated from the list. This option is found on the Text Flow tab of
the Paragraph dialog (right-click and choose Paragraph > Paragraph in the context
menu to open the dialog).

Figure 94: Keep with next paragraph and Do not

split paragraph options on Paragraph dialog
• Use the Do not split paragraph option on the Text Flow tab of the Paragraph dialog (for
individual paragraphs) or the Paragraph Style dialog (for all paragraphs with that style).
• Use a paragraph style to require a paragraph to start on a new page. A typical use is for
chapter titles to always start on a new right-hand (odd-numbered) page; use the
Paragraph Style dialog to define this (see Chapter 9, Working with Styles, for more
information).

Inserting a page break without changing the page style

If you want a page break in a particular place—for example, to put a heading at the top of a new
page—you can position the cursor at the point where you want to start the new page and select
Insert > Page Break on the Menu bar.

Inserting a page break and changing to a new page style

If you want the new page to have a different page style—for example, to change from a First
Page style to a Left Page style—use either of these methods.

Caution
Do not try to change a page style for a single page without inserting a page break. If
you do, the page style of some or all of the other pages may also change.

110 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Method 1
1) Position the cursor at the point you want to start the next page. Select Insert > More
Breaks > Manual Break.
2) In the Type section of the Insert Break dialog (Figure 95), Page break is preselected, and
Style is set at [None]. In the Style drop-down list, select the page style for the next page.
Do not select the Change page number option. Click OK.

Figure 95: Inserting a manual page break

and changing the page style
Method 2
1) Position the cursor in the paragraph you want to be at the start of the next page. Right-
click and choose Paragraph > Paragraph in the context menu.
2) On the Text Flow page of the Paragraph dialog (Figure 96), in the Breaks section, select
Insert and With page style. In the Style drop-down list, select the page style for the next
page. Do not select the Page number option. Click OK to insert the page break.

Figure 96: Inserting a manual page break

using the Paragraph dialog

Tip
See “Numbering the first page something other than 1“ on page 134 for information
on the use of the page number field in these dialogs.

Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics | 111

Creating headers and footers
Headers are portions of a document that appear at the top of every page; footers appear at the
bottom of a page. They typically include a page number and sometimes document information
such as the title. In Writer, headers and footers are specified in page styles; therefore, all the
pages with the same page style will display the same header and footer, although the contents of
the header/footer may vary. For example, the header/footer on the first page of a section,
chapter, or document may contain different information than the rest of the headers and footers in
the document, even though the page style is the same. See “Using one page style” on page 137.
Chapter 9 describes how to format a header as part of the page style formatting. The example
below shows how to insert a header in the Default pages using manual formatting.

Terminology
A heading is a paragraph that introduces a chapter or section of a document; for
example, “Creating headers and footers” above. A header (also known as a running
header) appears in the top margin of each page and typically displays information
about the document; it is similar to a footer at the bottom of pages.

There are two ways to insert a header. The simplest method is to click above the top of the text
area, then when the Header marker appears, click the +. (To insert a footer, click below the
bottom of the text area to display the Footer marker, and then click the +.)

Figure 97: Header marker at top of text area

You can also select Insert > Header and Footer > Header > [Page Style] on the Menu bar. The
submenu lists the page styles used in your document. In addition, the submenu includes the
entry All, which activates headers on all the pages of the document regardless of their page
style. Similarly, to insert a footer, choose Insert > Header and Footer > Footer > [Page Style].
For our example, select Default Style to activate the headers or footers only on the pages that
use the Default Page Style. An area will appear at the top or bottom of the page (Figure 98).

Figure 98: A page with a page header

112 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Formatting headers and footers
In Writer, headers and footers are paragraphs; therefore, you can format the header or footer text
using the same techniques you use for formatting text in the main body of the document. See
Chapter 4, Formatting Text.
You can also add images to headers and footers using any of the techniques described in
Chapter 11, Images and Graphics, and you can line up information using tables as described in
Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced.

Tip
Writer provides paragraph styles for headers and footers, which you can modify and
use in the same way as other paragraph styles. See Chapter 8, Introduction to
Styles, and Chapter 9, Working with Styles.

To format the layout of headers and footers manually:

1) Use any of these methods to open the relevant page style dialog:
– Click anywhere on the page and choose Format > Page Style on the Menu bar.
– Right-click anywhere on the page and choose Page Style in the context menu.
– If the page has a header, click in the header area. When the Header marker appears,
click the down arrow and select Format Header.
– If the page has a footer, click in the footer area. When the Footer marker appears,
click the down arrow and select Format Footer.
2) On the Header or Footer tab of the Page Style dialog (Figure 99), you can change the
margins, spacing, and height.
3) Click More to open the Border/Background dialog (Figure 100), where you can add
borders, background colors, and background images to the header or footer.

Figure 99: Footer tab of Page Style dialog

Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics | 113

 Figure 100: Border / Background page for header or footer

Using fields in headers and footers

You can type information into headers and footers, but some items such as document titles and
chapter titles are best added as fields. That way, if something changes, the headers and footers
are all updated automatically.
Fields are covered in Chapter 17, but one example may be useful here. To insert the document
title into the header on a Default page style:
1) Select File > Properties > Description on the Menu bar, enter a title for the document in
the Title area, and click OK to close the dialog.
2) Add a header (Insert > Header and Footer > Header > [Page Style]).
3) Place the cursor in the header part of the page.
4) Select Insert > Field > Title on the Menu bar. The title should appear on a gray
background (which does not show when printed and can be turned off).
5) To change the title of the document, select File > Properties > Description again and
edit.

Note
You must use a field for the page number so it changes from one page to the next.
See “Numbering pages” below.

114 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Numbering pages
When you place a page number field in a header or footer, the number appears on every page
and changes automatically from one page to the next. The page number appears with a gray
background. This gray background denotes a field; although it is visible on screen, it is not
printed.

Tip
If you wish to turn off the gray background, choose View > Field Shadings (or press
Ctrl+F8). If you see the words “Page number” instead of a number, press Ctrl+F9.
This toggles Writer between displaying the field name and the contents of the field.

This section describes some techniques to insert page numbers and related information in
headers or footers of a document:
• Simple page numbering
• Defining the number format
• Restarting page numbering and changing numbering format
• Numbering the first page something other than 1
• Combining header text and page number
• Numbering pages by chapter

Simple page numbering

The simplest case is to have the page number at the top or bottom of every page and nothing
more (Figure 101). To do this, place the cursor in the header or footer and choose Insert > Page
Number or Insert > Field > Page Number on the Menu bar.

Figure 101: Page number inserted in the header

You can align the page number to the left, right, or center. Click in the footer paragraph and then
use one of these methods:
• Click on one of the alignment icons on the Formatting toolbar.
• Open the Properties deck in the Sidebar. In the Paragraph section, click on one of the
alignment icons (Figure 102).

Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics | 115

 Figure 102: Alignment icons in Properties deck of Sidebar
• Right-click and choose Paragraph > Paragraph in the context menu. On the Paragraph
dialog, go to the Alignment tab and choose an alignment option, then click OK.

Figure 103: Alignment tab of the Paragraph dialog

Defining the number format

Many more variations are possible. For example, you can set the page number to display in
Roman numerals. One way to do that is to double-click the page number and select the desired
format; a better choice is to specify the format of numbers in the page style as explained here.
Right-click in the text area of the page and select Page Style in the context menu.
On the Page tab of the Page Style dialog, in the Layout Settings section on the right, select
i, ii, iii, …. in the Page numbers: drop-down list to use lowercase Roman numerals (Figure 104).

116 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 104: Changing format of page numbers

Caution
Any change in the number format affects the page numbers on all pages using that
page style, regardless of the method used to change the format. To change the
format of page numbers on some pages but not all, you need to use different page
styles; see “Restarting page numbering and changing numbering format” below.

Restarting page numbering and changing numbering format

You may want to restart the page numbering at 1, for example, on the page following a title page
or a table of contents. In addition, many documents have the front matter (such as the table of
contents) numbered with Roman numerals and the main body of the document numbered in
Arabic numerals, restarting at 1.
First, you need to define the numbering format for two page styles: Front Matter and Default
Page Style. See “Using different page styles” on page 137 and “Defining the number format’
above.
Next, in the front matter, insert a page number (see “Simple page numbering” on page 131).
Then, you can restart page numbering as follows:
1) Place the cursor in the first paragraph of the page to have the Default Page Style. (A
heading is a paragraph.)
2) Choose Format > Paragraph on the Menu bar, or right-click and choose Paragraph >
Paragraph, to display the Paragraph dialog.
3) On the Text Flow page of the Paragraph dialog, in the Breaks area (Figure 105):
a) Select Insert.
b) In the Type drop-down list, select Page.
c) In the Position drop-down list, select Before.
d) Select With page style and choose from the drop-down list the page style for the
next page.
e) Select Page number to make the field active. Type 1. Click OK.

Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics | 117

 Figure 105: The Breaks section of the Text
Flow page of the Paragraph Style dialog

Numbering the first page something other than 1

Sometimes you may want to start a document with a page number greater than 1. The
instructions are similar to Step 3 in the previous section.
1) Insert a page number in the header or footer (Insert > Page Number).
2) Click in the first paragraph in the text area. Choose Format > Paragraph (or right-click
and choose Paragraph > Paragraph in the context menu).
3) In the Text Flow page of the Paragraph dialog, in the Breaks section (Figure 105), select
Insert and select Page in the Type drop-down list. Select With page style and the page
style you are using for the first page of the document.
4) Select Page number to make the field active. Type the page number you want to start
with. Click OK.

Note
If you set a starting page number that is an even number, you will end up with a
blank page before the first page. LibreOffice adheres to the convention that odd page
numbers go on right-hand pages and even page numbers on left-hand pages.
However, you can suppress this blank page when you print the file or export it as a
PDF. See Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing for more information.

Combining header text and page number

You can apply a lot of interesting variations without further knowledge of page styles. Here are
some suggestions:
• Right-align the header to make the page number appear on the top-right.
• Type the word Page (and a space) before the page number field so the header reads
Page 1, Page 2, and so on.
• Add the document title so the header includes, for example: Peter’s Favourite Poems (left
aligned) and Page x (right aligned), where x is the value of the Page Number field. Use a
right-aligned tab to separate the title from the page number.
• Writer also has a Page Count field (Insert > Field > Page Count). Using it and the page
number field, you could, for example, have a header that reads Page 2 of 12.
These variations are all illustrated in Figure 106.

118 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 106: Variations on the simple page numbering method

Numbering pages by chapter

Technical documents often include the chapter number with the page number in the header or
footer. For example, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, ...; 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, ... To set up this type of page numbering in
Writer, you need to do three things:
1) Ensure that your chapter titles are all identified by the same paragraph style, for example,
the Heading 1 style.
2) Use Tools > Chapter Numbering to tell Writer what paragraph style you are using for
Level 1, and specify “1,2,3” in the Number box (Figure 107).

Figure 107: Specifying paragraph style and numbering for chapter titles
3) Insert the chapter number in the document:
a) Place the cursor in the header or footer just before the page number you inserted
earlier, and choose Insert > Field > More Fields on the Menu bar.
b) On the Fields dialog (Figure 108), go to the Document tab. Select Chapter in the
Type list, Chapter number in the Format list, and 1 in the Level box. Click Insert.
c) Type a hyphen or other punctuation between the chapter number and the page
number.

Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics | 119

 Figure 108: Inserting a chapter number field

Defining a different first page for a document

Many documents, such as letters and memos, have a first page that is different from the other
pages in the document. For example, the first page of a letterhead typically has a different
header, as shown in Figure 109, or the first page of a report might have no header or footer, while
the other pages do.

Figure 109: Letterhead with different headers for first and following pages

120 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

You can do this in several ways:
• Use the Default (or any other) page style for your document. Deselect the Same content
on first page option on the header/footer tabs in the Page Style dialog, and then add
different headers/footers to the first page and to the other pages of the document. See
“Using one page style” on page 137.
• Use different page styles for the first page and for the following pages. Set the Next Page
attribute for the first page so the next page automatically becomes the style for following
pages. See “Using different page styles” on page 137.
• Add a title page at the beginning of the document. See “Adding title pages” on page 138.

Using one page style

This example uses the Default Page Style.
1) Right-click anywhere on the page and choose Page Style in the context menu. On the
relevant tab (Header or Footer) of the Page Style dialog, select Header/Footer on and
deselect Same content on first page (Figure 110). Optionally select Same content on
left and right pages.
2) Insert a header or footer on any page using the Default Page Style. See “Creating
headers and footers” on page 126.
3) Add different header and footer content to the first page and to the other pages of the
document. For example, leave the header/footer blank on the first page.

Figure 110: Setting up footers to have different content on different pages

Using different page styles

As an example, we can use the First Page and Default page styles that come with LibreOffice.
Figure 111 shows what we want to happen: the first page is to be followed by the default page,
and all the following pages are to be in the default page style.
To do this, open the Page Style dialog for the First Page style, go to the Organizer tab, and
choose Default Page Style in the Next Style list (Figure 112).

Figure 111: Flow of page styles

Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics | 121

 Figure 112: Setting the next style for a page style

Adding title pages

Writer provides a fast and convenient way to add one or more title pages to a document and
optionally to restart the page number at 1 for the body of the document.
To begin, choose Format > Title Page on the Menu bar to display the Title Page dialog (Figure
113).

Figure 113: Adding title pages to a document

On the Title Page dialog, you can make the following choices:
• Convert existing pages to title pages, or insert new title pages.
• How many pages to convert or insert.
• Where those pages are located.
• If and where to restart page numbering, and what number to start with.
• What page style to use for the title page.

122 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Using this technique, you can insert several “title pages” at different points in your document, for
example to add decorative pages between chapters as well as title, copyright, and other pages at
the beginning of a book.

Formatting footnotes and endnotes

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page on which they are referenced. Endnotes are
collected at the end of a document.
To work effectively with footnotes and endnotes, you need to:
• Insert footnotes and define their format, if the default does not meet your needs (see
Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced).
• Define the location of footnotes on the page, and the color and line styles for separator
lines, if the defaults do not meet your needs.

Defining footnote location and separator line

The location of footnotes on the page, and the color and style of the line that separates the
footnotes from the text, are defined in the page style. If you are using several page styles, and
may have footnotes on any of them, you need to define the footnote location and separator line
on each of the page styles.
Choose Format > Page Style on the Menu bar or right-click a page and choose Page Style in
the context menu, to display the Page Style dialog. Go to the Footnote tab (Figure 114) and
make your selections, then click OK to save the changes.

Figure 114: Defining footnote location and separator line

Keeping the default setting Not larger than page area, the footnotes area is calculated
automatically on the basis of the number of footnotes. If you prefer to control manually the
maximum space that footnotes can take, select the Maximum footnote height option and enter
the value in the preferred unit of measurement. A footnote higher than the maximum height will
spill over on to the next page. Use the second section of the page to customize the separator
between the footnotes and the main text area.

Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics | 123

Inserting column and line breaks
In addition to manual page breaks (discussed on page 126), you may sometimes wish to use
column breaks and line breaks. These two methods for inserting these breaks are similar to the
methods for manual page breaks.

Column breaks
Manual column breaks are available only in a multi-column document or section. To insert a
manual column break:
1) Position the cursor at the point you want to start the new column. Select Insert > More
Breaks > Manual Break on the Menu bar.
2) In the Type section of the Insert Break dialog (Figure 95), select Column break. Click
OK.
You can also use the Breaks section in the Paragraph dialog (Figure 96).

Line breaks
You can use line breaks to manually format text in several ways:
• Continue on the next line (the default).
• Continue on the next full line, below all anchored objects that intersect with the current
line.
• Continue on the next line that is unblocked on the left-hand side.
• Continue on the next line that is unblocked on the right-hand side.
To insert a default line break, press Shift+Enter.
To insert other line break types:
1) Position the cursor at the point you want to break the text to a new line. Select Insert >
More Breaks > Manual Break on the Menu bar.
2) In the Type section of the Insert Break dialog (Figure 115), select Line break.
3) Select the type of line break required. Click OK.

Figure 115: Inserting a line break

124 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 6,
Formatting Pages: Advanced
Using columns, frames, tables, and sections
Introduction
Writer provides several ways to control page layouts. Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics,
described the use of page styles and some associated functions. This chapter covers the use of:
• Columns
• Frames
• Tables
• Sections
• Changing page orientation within a document
• Borders and backgrounds
• Using page line-spacing for printing

Note
All pages in a Writer document are based on page styles. The other layout methods
described in this chapter build upon the underlying page style.

Tip
Page layout is usually easier if you select the options to show text, object, table, and
section boundaries in Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Application Colors and the
options for paragraph ends, tabs, breaks, and other items in Tools > Options >
LibreOffice Writer > Formatting Aids.

Choosing a layout method

The best layout method depends on what the final document should look like, what sort of
information will be in the document, and whether the document will be published in a fixed format
(print, PDF) or a variable format (HTML, ePub) or more than one format. Here are some
examples. The techniques mentioned are all described in this chapter.
• For a book similar to this user guide with one column of text, some figures without text
beside them, and some other figures with descriptive text, use page styles for basic
layout, and use tables to place figures beside descriptive text, where necessary.
• Use sections (with two or more columns) for an index or other document with two
columns of text where the text continues from the left-hand column to the right-hand
column and then to the next page, all in sequence. If the title of the document (on the first
page) is full-page width, put it in a single-column section.
• For a newsletter with a complex layout, two or three columns on the page, and some
articles that continue from one page to some place several pages later, use page styles
for basic layout, then place articles in linked frames. If necessary, anchor graphics to
fixed positions on the page.

Tip
For a document to be published in HTML, EPUB, or another format that is not fixed,
use minimal layout techniques. Some methods (columns, frames, wide tables) often
do not export well to those formats.

126 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Using columns to define the page layout
It is a good idea to define your basic page style (such as Default Page Style) with the most
common layout to be used in your document, either single-column or multiple-column. You can
then define extra page styles for pages with different numbers of columns.

Note
If you wish to combine different numbers of columns on a single page, you must use
sections, as described in “Using sections for page layout” starting on page 155.

To define the number of columns for a page style:

1) Choose Format > Page Style on the Menu bar, or right-click on the page and choose
Page Style in the context menu, or click the More Options button in the Format section
of the Page deck on the Sidebar, to open the Page Style dialog. Go to the Columns tab
(see Figure 116).
2) In the Settings section, choose the number of columns and specify any spacing between
them and whether you want a vertical separator line to appear between the columns. You
can use one of Writer’s predefined column layouts, or you can create a customized
column layout. The preview on the right shows how the column layout will look.
3) Click OK to save the changes.

Figure 116: Defining the number of columns on a page

Formatting column width and spacing

Select AutoWidth in the Width and Spacing section to create columns of equal or preset width.
To customize the width and spacing of the columns:
1) In the Width and Spacing section, deselect the AutoWidth option.
2) In the Width selection boxes, enter a width for each column.
3) On the Spacing line, enter the amount of space between each pair of columns.
If you specify more than three columns, use the arrow buttons on the Column line to scroll among
the columns.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 127

Formatting separator lines
Usually white space is all that is needed between columns, but if you prefer separator lines:
1) Using the Style drop-down list, select the line style from the three styles available.
2) Using the Width control, select the width of line to use, settable from 0.25pt to 9.0pt.
(1 point = 1/12 pica = 1/72 inch = 127/360 mm = 0.3527 mm.)
3) Using the Height control, select the height of line required, as a percentage of the column
height. You can choose from the supplied values or type in measurements.
4) If you entered a height of less than 100%, use the Position drop-down list to select a
vertical alignment for the separator lines. The vertical-positioning options are Top,
Centered, or Bottom.
5) Select the line color from the Color drop-down list.

Distributing text across columns

As you add text to a column, the text flows from one column to the next. The last column may be
shorter than the others.
To distribute text evenly, so that all the columns are approximately the same height, use a multi-
column section instead; see “Formatting a section into columns” on page 158.

Tip
Choose View > Formatting Marks (or press Ctrl+F10) to display end of paragraph
markers (¶). Often, unexpected behavior of columns is due to extra paragraphs that
are normally invisible but are taking up space.

Using frames for page layout

Frames can be very useful when producing newsletters or other layout-intensive documents.
Frames can contain text, tables, multiple columns, pictures, and other objects. Use frames to:
• Position something in a particular place on a page, for example, a logo or a “stop press”
news box in one corner of a page.
• Allow text on one page to continue on another page, somewhere more distant than the
next one, by linking the content of one frame to another so the contents flow between
them as you edit the text.
• Wrap text around an object, such as a photograph.
Because LibreOffice does not allow you to define page styles with recurring frames (unless
anchored in a header or footer), consider doing some quick sketches of the basic page layouts
you need, indicating the approximate positions of different frames and their purposes. Keep the
number of different page layouts as low as possible to avoid chaos in your design.
Pay special attention to the positioning of frames. A visually effective way to position a frame is to
align its left margin with that of the paragraph above it. To do this, insert the frame in a blank
paragraph of the same style as the paragraph above. Select Insert > Frame > Frame; in the
Position section of the Type page of the Frame dialog (Figure 117 on page 149), select From
Left in the Horizontal selection box to position the frame exactly where you want it.
Also, think about the type of wrap and the spacing between the frame and text. Instead of placing
a frame close to the text, use the Wrap page to place some white space between them.
You can format frames individually or define and apply frame styles; see Chapter 9, Working with
Styles.

128 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Creating a frame
You can create a frame in several ways:
• Choose Insert > Frame > Frame to create an empty frame. The Frame dialog (Figure
117) opens. You can set the frame’s characteristics at this stage or click OK and come
back to customize it later.
• Select text and choose Insert > Frame > Frame to open the Frame dialog. Customize
the frame (for example, to add space between the frame and the text) and click OK. The
selected text is removed from the normal text flow and inserted into the frame.
• Choose Insert > Frame > Frame Interactively to quickly draw an empty frame. The
mouse cursor changes shape. Click and drag the mouse to draw an empty frame. To
customize the frame, right-click it and choose Properties in the context menu.
• Insert a formula or OLE object by selecting Insert > Object > [type of object]. The item
is inserted and appears in a frame. To customize the frame, right-click it and choose
Properties in the context menu.
To add content to a frame, first deselect the frame by clicking in an empty space somewhere else
on the page. Then, click inside the frame to place the text cursor there. Now add content as you
would on the main page. When you are done, deselect the frame.

Note
The menu item Insert > Frame > Floating Frame is for use with HTML documents.

Figure 117: Frame dialog

Frame toolbar
When you create or select a frame, the Frame toolbar (Figure 118) is displayed. By default, it
replaces the Formatting toolbar. You can also display it by using View > Toolbars > Frame.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 129

1 Anchor 6 After 11 Back One 16 Border Style
2 None 7 Through 12 Send to Back 17 Border Color
3 Parallel 8 Align Objects 13 To Foreground 18 Background Color
4 Optimal 9 Bring to Front 14 To Background 19 Link Frames
5 Before 10 Forward One 15 Borders 20 Unlink Frames
Figure 118: Buttons on the Frame toolbar

Moving, resizing, and changing frame attributes

When an object is added to Writer, it is automatically enclosed in a frame of a predetermined
type. The frame sets how the object is placed on the page, as well as how it interacts with other
elements in the document. You can edit the frame by modifying the frame style it uses or by
manually formatting it when you add it to the document. Frame styles are discussed in Chapter 9,
Working with Styles.
To change the size or location of a frame, first select the frame, then use either the mouse or the
Frame dialog (Figure 117). Using the mouse is faster but less accurate.

Tip
You might want to use the mouse for gross layout and the dialog for fine-tuning.

You can re-size the frame manually in these ways:

• Click on the green squares (sizing handles) and drag to the appropriate size.
• Add content to it (the frame will re-size automatically if, for example, you add a large
picture to it).
• Go back to the Frame dialog and set the size and other characteristics.
To change the location of the frame using the mouse, drag and drop one of the edges or place
the mouse pointer over an edge of the frame. The mouse pointer changes to a four-headed
arrow when properly positioned for a drag-and-drop move.
To change the size of the frame, drag one of the sizing handles. Drag a handle on one of the
sides to enlarge or reduce the text frame in one dimension only; drag a corner handle to enlarge
or reduce it in both dimensions.
These resizing actions distort the proportions of the frame. Holding down the Shift key while
dragging one of the handles makes the frame keep the same proportions.
To open the Frame dialog, select the frame, right-click, and choose Properties in the context
menu.
To add or remove a frame’s border, click the relevant button on the Frame toolbar (Figure 118) to
display some choices; or open the Frame dialog, go to the Borders page (Figure 119), and in the
Line Arrangement section, select the first Preset (Set No Borders); or assign a borderless style
to the frame; see Chapter 9, Working with Styles, for information on frame styles.

Note
Do not confuse a frame’s border with the text boundaries that are made visible using
the View menu (by selecting View > Text Boundaries).

130 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 119: Removing the border from a frame

Anchoring frames
To anchor a frame, click on it, then right-click and point to Anchor, or click the Anchor button on
the Frame toolbar and select the type of anchor, or open the Frame dialog to the Type tab.
To Page (available only on Frame dialog, not the toolbar or context menu)
The frame keeps the same position in relation to the page margins. It does not move as
you add or delete text. This method is useful when the frame does not need to be visually
associated with a particular piece of text. It is often used when producing newsletters or
other documents that are very layout-intensive, or to center text vertically on a page.
The To Page anchor is deprecated. You are advised to chose another type of anchor.
To Paragraph
The frame is associated with a paragraph and moves with the paragraph. It may be
placed in the margin or another location. It is also used to center text on a page in
documents which will be used in a master document (frames anchored to pages will
disappear from the master document).
To Character
The frame is associated with a character but is not in the text sequence. It moves with the
paragraph but may be placed in the margin or another location. This method is similar to
anchoring to a paragraph.
As Character
The frame is placed in the document like any other character and, therefore, affects the
height of the text line and the line break. The frame moves with the text as you add or
delete text. This method is useful for adding a small icon in sequence in a sentence. It is
also the best method for anchoring an image to an empty paragraph so it does not move
around the page in unexpected ways.

Linking frames
You can link frames to each other even when they are on different pages of a document. The
contents will automatically flow from one to the next. This technique is very useful when
designing newsletters, where articles may need to be continued on a different page.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 131

 Note
Text can only flow into a frame from one other frame, and flow on to one other frame.
You can not link from a frame directly to more than one other frame.

To link one frame to another:

1) Select the frame to be linked from.
2) Click the Link Frames icon on the Frames toolbar.
3) Click the next frame in the series (which must be empty).
When a linked frame is selected, any existing links are indicated by a faint connecting line (see
Figure 120). To unlink frames, select the Unlink Frames icon on the Frames toolbar.

Figure 120: Linked frames

The height of a frame that is being linked from is fixed; you can change this height manually or by
using the Position and Size tab on the Frame dialog, but it does not automatically adjust to the
size of the contents (that is, the AutoHeight attribute is disabled). Only the last frame of a chain
can adapt its height to the content.
The Options tab of the Frame dialog (Figure 121) shows the names of the selected frame and
any frames it is linked to or from. You can change this information here. On this tab, you can also
select options to protect the contents, position, and size of the frame.

Figure 121: Options tab of the Frame dialog

132 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The Wrap, Borders, Area, Columns, Transparency, and Macro pages of the Frame dialog are the
same as those for frame styles. Refer to Chapter 9, Working with Styles, for details.

Using tables for page layout

Writer’s tables can serve several purposes, such as holding data as you might see it in a
spreadsheet, lining up material, and creating more complex page layouts. This topic describes
how to achieve some common layouts by using tables. For information about using tables of
data, see Chapter 13, Tables.

Positioning information in headers or footers

Instead of using tabs or frames, you can use a table in a header or footer to position different
elements such as page number, document title, author, and so on. These elements are often
inserted using fields, as described in Chapter 17, Fields.

Creating sideheads using tables

Sideheads and marginal notes are commonly used in documents such as resumes and computer
user guides. The main body of the text is offset to leave white space (usually on the left-hand
side) in which the sideheads or notes are placed. The first paragraph is aligned beside the
sidehead, as in Figure 122.

Figure 122: Example of a sidehead

Note
Sideheads can also be created by placing text in a frame using the Marginalia frame
style, as described in Chapter 9, Working with Styles.

Example
To create a table for use with a sidehead:
1) Place the cursor where you want the table to appear and choose Table > Insert Table
(Ctrl+F12).
2) In the Insert Table dialog (Figure 123), define a two-column, one-row table with no
heading. Choose None under Styles so the table will have no border. Click Insert.
3) Right-click the table and choose Table Properties in the context menu. On the Columns
tab of the Table Properties dialog (Figure 124), set the column widths.
4) On the Table tab of the Table Properties dialog (Figure 125), in the Spacing section, make
the Above and Below values the same as the Top and Bottom spacing you have defined
for ordinary paragraphs of text. In the Properties section, optionally give this table a
name. Click OK to save your settings.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 133

 Tip
To check the top and bottom spacing for a paragraph: position the cursor in the
paragraph and open the Properties deck on the Sidebar. In the Paragraph section,
look under Spacing for the values.

Figure 123: Defining a two-column borderless table with no heading

Figure 124: Defining a two-column table to line up with text offset at 3.3cm

134 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 125: Defining the space above and below a table
You may also want to turn off number recognition so that Writer will not try to format numbers if
you want them to be plain text. To turn number recognition off:
1) Place the cursor in a table, and then select Table > Number Format on the Menu bar.
2) On the Format Number dialog (Figure 126), make sure the Category is set to Text.
3) Click OK.

Figure 126: Setting number format to Text

Tip
If you use this table format often, you may want to save it as a table style, using
Table > AutoFormat Styles. See Chapter 13, Tables.

Using sections for page layout

A section is a block of text that has special attributes and formatting. You can use sections to:
• Write-protect text.
• Hide text.
• Dynamically insert the contents of another document.
• Add columns, margin indents, a background color, or a background graphic to a portion
of your document.
• Customize the footnotes and endnotes for a portion of your document.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 135

Creating sections
To create a section:
1) Place the cursor at the point in your document where you want to insert the new section.
Or, select the text that you want to place in the new section.
2) On the Menu bar, choose Insert > Section. The Insert Section dialog (Figure 127) opens.
3) Choose settings for each page of the dialog as described below. Click Insert.
The Insert Section dialog has five tabs:
• Use the Section tab to set the section’s attributes.
• Use the Columns tab to format the section into columns.
• Use the Indents tab to set indents from the right and left margins of the section.
• Use the Area tab to add color or a graphic to the section’s background.
• Use the Footnotes/Endnotes tab to customize the section’s footnotes and endnotes.

Figure 127: Inserting a section using the Insert Section dialog

At any time before closing the dialog, you can reset a tabbed page other than the Section page to
its default settings by clicking the Reset button. If you wish to undo changes to the Section page,
you must do so manually.

Naming sections
Writer automatically enters a name for the section in the name box of the New Section list. To
change the name, select it and type over it. The name is displayed in the Sections category of
the Navigator window. Navigation is easier if you give your sections meaningful names.

136 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Linking sections
You can insert the contents of another document into the section and then have Writer update it
whenever the other document is updated.

Note
If you want to insert only a part of the other document, be sure that part exists as a
section in the document.

To link the section to another document, follow these steps:

1) In the Link section of the dialog (Figure 128), select the Link option.
2) Click the Browse button to the right of the File name field. The Insert dialog opens.
3) Find and select the required document and click the Insert button. The name of the
selected document appears in the File name field.
4) If you want to insert only a section of the selected document, select the desired section
from the Section drop-down list.

Figure 128: Linking sections

You can update links automatically or manually. See “Updating links” on page 161.

Write-protecting sections
To write-protect the section so that its contents cannot be edited, select Protect in the Write
protection area (Figure 129).

Note
Write-protection protects only the section’s contents, not its attributes or format.

Figure 129: Write-protecting sections

Password-protecting sections

Caution
Be very careful to remember or safely store the password, because it cannot be
retrieved without advanced tools.

To prevent others from editing the section’s attributes or format, you can additionally protect the
section with a password, as follows:
1) Select Protect and With password.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 137

 2) On the Enter Password dialog, type a password in the Password field and again in the
Confirm field.
3) Click OK.
Anyone who tries to edit the section’s attributes or format will be prompted to enter the password.

Hiding sections
You can hide the section so that it will not be displayed on the screen or printed. You can also
specify conditions for hiding the section. For example, you can hide the section only from certain
users. Hiding is very useful for creating a single source document containing students’ and
teachers’ copies of a document such as a test.

Note
You cannot hide a section if it is the only content on the page or if the section is in a
header, footer, footnote, endnote, frame, or table cell.

To hide a section, select the Hide option in the Hide section of the dialog.
To hide the section only under certain conditions, enter the desired conditions in the With
Condition field. The syntax and operators that you use to enter conditions are the same ones that
you use to enter formulas. For syntax and a list of operators, see the Help and Chapter 17,
Fields.
If the section is write-protected with a password, the password must be entered to hide or reveal
the text.

Formatting a section into columns

You can give some parts of a page one column and other parts of the page two or more columns.
For example, you might have a page-width headline over a three-column news story.

Tip
You cannot select text on a multi-column formatted page and change it to a single
column using this method. Instead, you need to define a single-column page style
and then select the text you want to be in a two-column section on that page.

Use the Columns tab of the Insert Section dialog (Figure 130) to format the section into columns.

Figure 130: Choosing evenly distributed columns

As you add text to the section, the text flows from one column to the next. You can distribute text
across the columns in one of two ways, as shown in Figure 131.
Evenly distribute contents to all columns
When this option is selected, Writer adjusts the length of the columns to the amount of
text, so that all the columns are approximately the same length. As you add or delete text,
the columns readjust.

138 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 When this option is not selected, Writer fills the columns newspaper-style: one column at
a time, beginning with the first column. The last column may be shorter than the others.

Figure 131: (Left) Evenly distributed columns; (Right) Newspaper-style columns

Indenting the section from margins

Use the Indents tab (Figure 132), to set indents from the right and left margins of the section.
Enter the desired left-margin indent in the Before section box. Enter the desired right-margin
indent in the After section box. The preview box on the right-hand side of the tab shows you
how the section will look with the indents applied.

Figure 132: Indenting sections

Changing the background of the section

Use the Area tab to add color or an image to the background of the current section. This page is
similar to the Area tabs for paragraphs, frames, tables, and other objects. For more information,
refer to “Defining borders and backgrounds” on page 167 and the Draw Guide.

Customizing footnotes and endnotes in a section

Use the Footnotes/Endnotes page of the Insert Section dialog (Figure 133) to customize the
current section’s footnotes and endnotes.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 139

 Figure 133: Setting footnotes and endnotes for sections

Customizing footnotes
To number the section’s footnotes separately from the other footnotes in the document, and
format the numbering, follow these steps:
1) In the Footnotes section of the page, make sure that Collect at end of text is selected.
2) Select Restart numbering.
3) To start the section’s footnotes at a number other than 1, enter the desired starting
number in the Start at box.
4) Select the Custom format option. In the drop-down list, select a numbering format for the
footnotes.
To add text to the selected numbering format, use the Before and After boxes. For example, if
you want the footnote numbers to be preceded by the word Note and followed by a colon, fill the
Before and After boxes as shown in Figure 133.

Customizing endnotes
If you want the section’s endnotes to appear at the end of the section rather than at the end of
the document, select the Collect at end of section option in the Endnotes area.
To number the current section’s endnotes separately from the other endnotes in the document,
and format the numbering, apply the procedures described above to the Endnotes settings.

Editing and deleting sections

To edit a section, choose Format > Sections on the Menu bar. In the Edit Sections dialog
(Figure 134), select the section you want to edit by clicking its name in the Section list.

Editing section attributes

To rename the selected section, type over its name in the Section name box.
On the Edit Sections dialog, you can also edit the selected section’s link, write-protect, and hide
attributes. To learn how to edit these attributes, see “Linking sections” on page 157, “Write-
protecting sections” on page 157, and “Hiding sections” on page 158.

140 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Figure 134: Edit Sections dialog

Editing the format of a section

To edit the format of the selected section, click the Options button.
The Options dialog has four tabs: Columns, Indents, Background, and Footnotes/Endnotes.
These tabs are the same as those in the Insert Section dialog described earlier; the Background
tab on the Options dialog corresponds to the Area tab in the Insert Section dialog.
To reset a tab to the conditions in place when the dialog opened, click the Reset button. To save
the Options settings, click OK. You are returned to the Edit Sections dialog.

Removing sections
To remove the selected section, click the Remove button. This does not delete the contents of
the section; the contents become part of the main document. If the contents were linked, they are
now embedded.

Updating links
You can set Writer to update linked sections automatically, and you can also update links
manually.

Updating links automatically

To set Writer to update links without prompting you, or to turn off automatic updating, follow these
steps:
1) Choose Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > General. The dialog displays general
text document settings.
2) In the Update links when loading section of the dialog, select one of the options:
– Always if you want Writer to update links automatically, without prompting you,
whenever you open a document that contains links.
– On request if you want Writer to prompt you before updating links.
– Never if you do not want Writer to update links.
3) Click OK to save your settings.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 141

Updating links manually
A protected section must first be unprotected before it can be updated.
To update a link manually:
1) Open the document that contains the link.
2) Choose Edit > Links to External Files.
3) The list in the Edit Links dialog (Figure 135) displays the names of all the files that are
linked to the current document. Select the file that corresponds to the link that you want to
update.
4) Click the Update button. The most recently saved contents of the linked file appear in the
current document. To close the Edit Links dialog, click Close.

Figure 135: Edit Links dialog

Removing links
To remove a link to a file and embed its contents, go to the Edit Links dialog, select the file that
corresponds to the link you want to remove, and click the Break Link button. This action does
not delete the text in the Section; it just breaks the link. If desired, the text must be removed
manually.

Changing page orientation within a document

A document can contain pages in more than one orientation. A common scenario is to have a
landscape page in the middle or end of a document, where the other pages are in portrait
orientation. Here are the steps to achieve it.

Setting up a landscape page style

1) If you wish to keep the margins the same as on other pages, then note the margin
settings of the current page style. (You can find the margin settings on the Page tab of the
Page Style dialog.)

142 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 2) On the Styles deck of the Sidebar, right-click Landscape in the list of page styles and
choose Modify.
3) On the Organizer tab of the Page Style dialog (Figure 136), make sure Next Style is set
to Landscape (to allow for having more than one sequential landscape page).

Figure 136: Set the next page style to Landscape

4) On the Page tab of the Page Style dialog (Figure 137), make sure Orientation is set to
Landscape. Change the margins so that they correspond with the margins of the portrait
page. That is, the portrait top margin becomes the landscape left margin, and so on.
5) Click OK to save the changes.

Figure 137: Set orientation and margins for a landscape page

Inserting a landscape page into a portrait document

Now that you have defined the Landscape page style, here is how to apply it:
1) Position the cursor in the paragraph or table at the start of the page that is to be set to
landscape. Right-click and choose Paragraph > Paragraph or Table Properties,
respectively, in the context menu.
2) On the Text Flow page of the Paragraph dialog (Figure 138) or the Table Properties dialog
(Figure 139), select Insert (or Break for a table) and With Page Style. Set the Page
Style property to Landscape. Click OK to apply the new page style.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 143

 3) Position the cursor in the paragraph or table where the page is to return to portrait
orientation and change the paragraph properties or table properties so that With Page
Style is the portrait page style that was used before the Landscape page style. Click OK
to return to the portrait page style.

Figure 138: Specifying a page break before a paragraph

Figure 139: Specifying a page break before a table

Portrait headers or footers on horizontal pages

When you define a header or footer on a landscape page, it is positioned on the long side of the
page. If your landscape pages are inserted between portrait pages, you might want the headers
and footers to be on the short sides of the landscape pages, so that turning the landscape pages
90 degrees (as in a printed book) presents the same layout as on the portrait pages.
You can set up portrait-oriented headers and footers on landscape pages by using frames. These
are a bit tricky to set up, but once you have done so, they are part of the Landscape page style
and appear on all landscape pages in the document.
In the example below, we want to insert a landscape page into a document so that it has the
same header, footer, and margins as the portrait pages. In the example, the default page style is
portrait, A4 size, with header and footer of 0.5 cm with 0.5 cm spacing.
To match the layout of the landscape page to that of the portrait pages:
• The landscape page should have the header enabled, but not the footer.
• The top margin of the landscape page will be one centimeter less than the left margin of
the portrait page, since it will have an (empty) header where we will anchor both the
vertical header and footer frames.
• The bottom margin of the landscape page will be equal to the right margin of the portrait
page.
• The left and right margins of the landscape page must be one centimeter larger than the
corresponding top and bottom of the portrait page so that the longitudinal size of both
pages matches. That centimeter is the result of adding the size of the header or footer
and the spacing to the main text (0.5 for the header or footer and 0.5 cm for the spacing).

144 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

To achieve these results, follow these steps:
1) Modify the margins of the Landscape page style so the size of the text space is the same
on both page styles.
Portrait (vertical) page Landscape (horizontal) page
Top margin 1.5 cm Top margin 1.8 cm
Bottom margin 1.5 cm Bottom margin 1.8 cm
Left (inner) margin 2.8 cm Left (inner) margin 2.5 cm
Right (outer) margin 1.8 cm Right (outer) margin 2.5 cm

2) Insert a manual page break where you want a landscape page to appear (Insert > More
Breaks > Manual Break) and choose Landscape for the page style.
3) Copy and paste all the content from the footer of the portrait page and paste it into a
blank paragraph on the landscape page. Be sure this text has the Footer paragraph style
so the font settings will match.

Figure 140: Copy the footer, paste, and select it

4) Select the full text (including the fields) you just pasted. Choose Format > Character. In
the Character dialog, choose the Position tab and set Rotation / Scaling to 270 degrees
(counterclockwise). Click OK.

Figure 141: Rotating the footer text 270 degrees

5) With the text still selected, choose Insert > Frame > Frame. In the Frame dialog (Figure
142), select the Type tab and enter the width, height, and horizontal and vertical position
for the footer. Deselect the automatic sizing options in Width and Height.
6) Select the entire frame and modify the width and height:
– The width should be 0.5 cm (height of the vertical page style footer).
– The height must be equal to the Din A4 page width (21 cm) minus the sum of the top
and bottom margins of 2.8 cm and 1.8 cm, which results in 16.4 cm.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 145

 7) Cut the frame (Ctrl+X), move to the header of the landscape page and paste it into the
header (Ctrl+V), so that, anchored in the empty header paragraph, it repeats every time
you insert a landscape page.
8) Set the position of the frame relative to the entire page.
– Vertical position 2.80 cm (same distance as the left margin vertically).
– Horizontal position: 1.50 cm (same distance as the bottom margin vertically).

Figure 142: Defining the size and position of the footer frame
9) If the footer has a line above the text, on the Borders tab, select a right border and specify
the line width and spacing to the frame’s contents.
10) Click OK to save these settings. The footer will now appear in the required position and
orientation on any page using the Landscape style.
11) Since rotated text does not allow tabs, click in the frame at the end of the text where the
tab was, and type as many spaces as you need for the layout to match the portrait page.

146 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 143: Footers in place for both page styles
To set up a portrait header on the landscape page, repeat these steps (from step 3) but set the
horizontal position to 27.70 cm (29.7 cm, minus 2 cm from the margin and header).

Defining borders and backgrounds

You can apply borders and backgrounds to many elements in Writer. Paragraphs, pages, frames,
sections, page styles, paragraph styles, character styles, and frame styles can include both
borders and backgrounds. The dialog pages for borders and backgrounds are similar in each
case. To illustrate their use, we will define a border and background for a frame.

Tip
You can choose to have page backgrounds fill the entire page (sheet of paper) or
only the area within the margins; see the section on page styles in Chapter 9,
Working with Styles. Page borders surround only the area within the margins,
including the header or footer (if any exist).
Tables, indexes, tables of contents, and bibliographies can also have borders and
backgrounds, although the choices for background are limited to Color or Image.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 147

Adding a border
To begin, select the frame, right-click, and choose Properties in the context menu. Select the
Borders tab (Figure 144).

Figure 144: Frame dialog: Borders page

Borders have three components: where they go, what they look like, and how much space is left
around them. Optionally they may also have a shadow property.
• Line Arrangement specifies where the borders go. Writer provides five default
arrangements but you can click the line you want to customize in the User-defined area
to get exactly what you want. Each line can be individually formatted.
• Line specifies what the border looks like: the style, width, and color. Each parameter has
a number of attributes to choose from. The attributes selected will apply to those borders
highlighted by a pair of black arrows in the User-defined thumbnail on the left side of the
dialog.
• Padding specifies how much space to leave between the border and the contents of the
element. Spaces can be specified to the left, right, top, and bottom. Select Synchronize
to have the same spacing for all four sides.
• Shadow Style properties always apply to the whole element. A shadow has three
components: where it is (Position), how far from the element it is cast (Distance), and
what color it is.

Adding a color to the background area

To begin, select the frame, right-click, and choose Properties in the context menu. On the Frame
dialog, select the Area tab (Figure 145), then choose Color. Select from the color grid or create a
new color to use for this frame, and then click OK to apply it to the background.

148 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 145: Frame dialog: Area page showing color choices

Tip
For selected words or other characters (right-click, Character > Character), the
“background” is called highlighting. The only choices are Color or None.

Adding an image to the background

To add an image to the background, choose the Area tab, then choose Image (Figure 146).
You can choose one of the supplied images from the list on the left, or you can add your own.
To use an image, select it from the thumbnails on the left.
1) In the Options area, choose the placement for the image:
– Style – custom position/size, tiled, or stretched.
– Size – specify the width and height. Select Scale to stretch or shrink the image to fit
the selected size.
– Position – select where the image is to be displayed.
2) Click OK to apply the image to the background.
To add an image:
1) Click the Add/Import button. The Import dialog opens.
2) Find the file you want and then click Open. The selected image now appears in the list of
thumbnails on the left and in the preview box on the right of the Area tab.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 149

 Figure 146: Frame dialog: Area page showing image choices

Adding a gradient, pattern, or hatch to the background

To add a gradient, pattern, or hatch to the background, choose the Area tab, then choose the
required background type. The dialog now displays the options for that type, with an example in
the preview pane to the right. Select the required design from the list or create a new design to
use for this frame. Click OK to apply it to the background. See the Draw Guide for more about
defining gradients, patterns, and hatching.

Deleting a color, gradient, image, or other background

To delete a background, select None near the top of the Area tab of the Frame dialog.

Adjusting the transparency of the background

Transparency is useful for creating watermarks (a logo or text in the background of a page,
typically showing the company name or a statement such as Draft) and making colors or images
more pale (for more contrast with the text). Use the Transparency tab (Figure 147) to define the
type of transparency. The choices are covered in detail in the Draw Guide.

150 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 147: Transparency options

Using page line-spacing for printing

Page line-spacing (also called Register-true) is particularly useful for printed documents that will
have two pages set next to each other (for example, in a book or brochure), for multi-column
layouts, and for documents intended for double-sided printing.
To use page line-spacing, you need to select options on the page styles and the paragraph styles
or individual paragraphs to be included, because these options work together.

To enable a page style for page line-spacing

Each page style to be included in page line-spacing must be enabled separately. To do so:
1) Open the Page Style dialog for the selected page style, using one of these methods:
– Right-click on any page using that style and select Page Style in the context menu.
– On any page using that style, go to Format > Page Style on the Menu bar.
– On the Sidebar, go to the Styles deck, select the Page Styles icon at the top, then
right-click on the required page style and select Modify.
2) On the Page tab, in the Layout Settings section, select the Use page line-spacing
option, specify the Reference Style, and click OK.

Note
The Reference Style sets an invisible vertical (typographical) grid, using the line
distance specified in the style. All paragraphs that have Page line-spacing activated
will use that line distance, aligning the bottom of a text line to the next grid line,
regardless of font size or presence of graphics. Each line is thus the same height.
Writer will align the base lines of text printed on adjacent columns, opposite pages,
and both sides of a sheet of paper to this invisible grid.
All paragraphs with the selected Reference Style (or that inherit the Reference Style)
will be activated automatically for Page line-spacing.

Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced | 151

To enable paragraph styles for page line-spacing
1) On the Styles deck of the Sidebar, right-click the Paragraph Style you want to enable, and
choose Modify.
2) In the Paragraph Style dialog, go to the Indents & Spacing tab.
3) Select Activate page line-spacing to enable the paragraph style for page line-spacing.
Deselect the option to exempt the paragraph style from page line-spacing.
The checkbox has no effect if Page line-spacing is disabled in the page style.

To enable paragraphs for page line-spacing

1) Select all the paragraphs you want to enable, then go to Format > Paragraph on the
Menu bar.
2) On the Paragraph dialog, go to the Indents & Spacing tab.
3) Select Activate page line-spacing to enable the selected paragraphs for page line-
spacing. Deselect the option to exempt the selected paragraphs from page line-spacing.
The checkbox has no effect if Page line-spacing is disabled in the page style.

152 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 7,
Printing, Exporting, Emailing,
Signing
Quick printing
If the Print Directly icon is visible on the Standard toolbar, you can click it to print the entire
document using the current default print settings. If the icon is not visible, you can make it visible
by right-clicking on the toolbar, pointing to Visible Buttons, and selecting Print Directly.

Specifying the default printer

To specify the default printer, choose File > Printer Settings on the Menu bar. The Printer Setup
dialog (Figure 148) opens. To access other printing options, click the Options button on the
Printer Setup dialog. The same default options are available through Tools > Options >
LibreOffice Writer > Print, and more general print options through Tools > Options >
LibreOffice > Print. See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, for more information.

Figure 148: Printer Setup dialog

Controlling printing using the Print dialog

For more control over printing, use the Print dialog (File > Print, Ctrl+P (⌘+P for macOS), or the
Print icon on the Standard toolbar). The appearance of the Print dialog is different on Windows
and Linux than it is on macOS, so they are described separately in this chapter.

Print dialog on Windows and Linux

On Windows and Linux, the Print dialog (Figure 149) has two tabs, on which you can choose a
range of options, as described in the following sections. The appearance of this dialog may vary
slightly depending on the operating system in use.

Selecting general printing options

On the General tab of the Print dialog, you can choose:
• The printer, from the list of available printers.
• Which pages to print, the number of copies to print, and whether to collate multiple
copies (Range and copies section).
• Paper size and print orientation (Page Layout section).
• How many pages to print on one sheet of paper and whether to draw a border around
each page (Page Layout section).
• Whether to print a brochure (see page 179).
• Whether to print in reverse page order (useful on some printers to make the pages come
out in page order).

154 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Figure 149: The Print dialog on Windows and Linux

Selecting printer and print job options

In the Printer section of the General tab, click the Properties button to display the selected
printer’s properties dialog where you can choose portrait or landscape orientation, which paper
tray to use, and the paper size to print on.
Click the More button at the bottom of the Range and Copies section of the General tab to
choose whether to create separate print jobs for collated output, instead of one print job
containing all the collated pages (not relevant if only one copy of a document is printed).

Selecting what to print

In addition to printing a full document, you can choose to print individual pages, a ranges of
pages, or a selection from a document.
Individual page
1) In the Print dialog, in the Range and Copies section, select the Pages option. The text
box shows the current page number.
2) Enter the page number of the page you want to print. The preview box on the left changes
to show the selected page.

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 155

 Range of pages
1) In the Print dialog, in the Range and Copies section, select the Pages option.
2) Enter the page numbers of the pages to print (for example, 1–4 or 1,3,7,11 or a
combination).
Selection of text or graphics
1) In the document, select the material to print, then open the Print dialog.
2) In the Range and Copies section of the Print dialog, the Selection option is now active
and selected and the preview box shows the selected material (Figure 150).

Figure 150: Printing a selection of text

Choices on the LibreOffice Writer tab

On the LibreOffice Writer tab (Figure 151) you can choose to print a subset of contents (for
example, images or hidden text), print text in black (even if a color is defined for the text),
whether to print automatically inserted blank pages, and whether and where to print any
comments that are in the document.
Some selections may not be available all the time. For example, if the document contains no
comments, the Comments drop-down list is disabled.

Figure 151: LibreOffice Writer tab of Print dialog

156 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Print dialog on macOS
The LibreOffice Print dialog in macOS has several pages, described in the following sections.
These pages are listed in a drop-down menu below the upper part of the dialog (Figure 152). Its
appearance and layout on macOS 13 (Ventura) vary a bit from macOS 12 (Monterey) and earlier.
The examples here are from macOS 12.

Figure 152: Pages of the Print dialog on macOS

Selecting general printing options

In the upper part of the Print dialog on macOS (Figure 152), you can choose:
• The printer, from the list of available printers
• The number of copies to print
• Which pages to print: all, or a continuous range of pages; for a discontinuous range of
pages, see the Pages section under LibreOffice Writer in the lower part of the dialog.

Choices on the LibreOffice Writer page

On the LibreOffice Writer page of the Print dialog on macOS (Figure 153), you can choose:
• What contents to print: page background, images and other graphic objects, hidden text,
text placeholders, and form controls.
• Whether to print text in black, instead of any colors defined in the document.
• Whether to print automatically inserted blank pages, a selection of pages, or a selection
of contents.
• Whether and where to print comments.
• Whether to print a brochure (see page 183).
Some selections may not be available all the time. For example, if the document contains no
comments, the Comments drop-down list is disabled.

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 157

 Figure 153: The LibreOffice Writer page of the Print dialog

Selecting what to print

In addition to printing a full document, you can choose to print individual pages, a range of pages,
or a selection from a document.
Individual page
To print an individual page, you can use either of the top or bottom Pages sections of the
Print dialog (Figure 150). In the top section, enter the required page number in both the
From: and To: boxes. The preview box on the left changes to show the selected page.
Consecutive range of pages
To print a consecutive range of pages, you can use either of the Pages sections of the
Print dialog (Figure 150). In the top section, enter the first and last page numbers in the
From: and To: boxes. Or, use the method described below for a non-consecutive range of
pages.
Non-consecutive range of pages
To print a non-consecutive range of pages (for example, 1,3,7,11 or a combination like 1–
4; 7, 11, 22), you need to use the bottom Pages section (in the LibreOffice Writer area).
Select the Pages: option. The box below Selection becomes active. Type the required
page numbers in this box.
Selection of text or graphics
To print a selection of text or graphics: in the document, select the material to print, then
open the Print dialog. In the bottom Pages section of the Print dialog, the Selection
option is now active and selected and the preview box shows the selected material
(Figure 154).

158 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Figure 154: Printing a selection of text

Printing multiple pages on a single sheet of paper

You can print multiple pages of a document on one sheet of paper. To do this:
• [Windows or Linux] On the Page Layout section of the General tab of the Print dialog
(Figure 155), click More and select from the Pages per sheet drop-down list the number
of pages to print per sheet of paper.
• [macOS] Go to the Layout page (Figure 156) of the Print dialog and select from the
Pages per Sheet drop-down list the number of pages to print per sheet of paper.
When printing more than two pages per sheet, you can choose the order in which they are
printed across and down the paper.
The preview panel on the left of the Print dialog changes to show how the printed document will
look.

Figure 155: Print order choices on Windows and Linux

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 159

 Figure 156: The Layout page of the Print dialog on macOS

Printing a brochure
In Writer, you can print a document with two pages on each side of a sheet of paper, arranged so
that when the printed pages are folded in half, the pages are in the correct order to form a
booklet or brochure.

Tip
Plan your document so it will look good when printed half size; choose appropriate
margins, font sizes, and so on. You may need to experiment.

The process for printing a brochure is the same for all operating systems, but the settings are
found in different places.
To print a brochure on a single-sided printer:
1) [Windows and Linux] In the Page Layout section of the General tab of the Print dialog,
click more and select Brochure near the bottom.
[macOS] On the LibreOffice page of the Print dialog, select Brochure near the bottom.
2) The preview on the left changes to show the sequence in which the pages will be printed.
(Figure 157.)
3) If you have Asian or CTL selected in your language settings3, the Print dialog will include
a drop-down menu adjacent to the Brochure button (not shown in Figure 157). This list
provides Left-to-right script and Right-to-left script options. Select the required setting.
4) [Windows and Linux] In the Range and Copies section of the General tab of the Print
dialog, select Even pages.
[macOS] On the Paper Handling page of the Print dialog (Figure 158), in the Pages to
Print drop-down list, select Even pages.
5) Click Print. Take the printed pages out of the printer and put them back into the printer in
the correct orientation to print on the blank side. You may need to experiment to find the
correct arrangement for your printer.
6) [Windows and Linux] In the Range and Copies section of the General tab of the Print
dialog, select Odd pages.
[macOS] On the Paper Handling page of the Print dialog (Figure 158), in the Pages to
Print drop-down list, select Odd pages.
7) Click Print.

3 Tools > Options > Language Settings > Languages on Windows or Linux; LibreOffice >
Preferences > Language Settings > Languages on macOS.

160 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
If your printer can print double-sided (duplex) automatically, choose All pages in
step 3 and skip steps 4 and 5.

Figure 157: Settings for printing a brochure using Windows or Linux

Figure 158: Settings for printing a brochure using macOS

Printing in black and white on a color printer

You may wish to print documents in black and white on a color printer. Several choices are
available.

Note
Some color printers may print in color regardless of the settings you choose.

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 161

[Windows and Linux] For one document, change the printer settings to print in black and white or
grayscale:
1) On the Print dialog, click Properties to open the Properties dialog for the printer. The
available choices vary from one printer to another, but you should find options for the
color settings. See your printer’s help or user manual for more information.
2) The choices for color might include black and white or grayscale. Choose grayscale.
3) Click OK to confirm your choice and return to the Print dialog.
4) Click Print to print the document.
[macOS] For one document, change the Color setting on the LibreOffice Writer page of the Print
dialog (Figure 153):
1) In the Color section, select Print text in black.
2) Click Print to print the document.
[All] To print all color text and images as grayscale, change the LibreOffice settings:
1) Choose Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Print [macOS: LibreOffice > Preferences >
LibreOffice > Print].
2) Select the Convert colors to grayscale option. Click OK to save the change.
[All] To print all color text as black, and all images as grayscale, change the LibreOffice Writer
settings:
1) Choose Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Print [macOS: LibreOffice >
Preferences > LibreOffice Writer > Print].
2) Under Contents, select the Print text in black option. Click OK to save the change.

Previewing pages before printing

The normal page view in Writer shows what each page will look like when printed; you can edit
the pages in that view. If you are designing a document to be printed double-sided, you may want
to see what facing pages look like. Writer provides two ways to do this:
• View Layout (editable view): use the Book View button on the status bar and (usually)
zoom out.

Figure 159: Book view icon on Status bar

• Print Preview (read-only view).
To use Print Preview:
1) Choose File > Print Preview on the Menu bar, or click the Toggle Print Preview icon on
the Standard toolbar, or press Ctrl+Shift+O. Writer now displays the Print Preview
toolbar instead of the Formatting toolbar.

Figure 160: Print Preview toolbar

2) Select the required preview icon: Single Page Preview, Two Pages Preview, Book
Preview, or Multiple Pages Preview.
3) To print the document from this view, click the Print icon to open the Print dialog. Choose
the print options and click Print.

162 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Printing envelopes
Printing envelopes involves two steps: setup and printing.
To set up an envelope to be printed by itself or with a document:
1) Click Insert > Envelope on the Menu bar.
2) In the Envelope dialog, start with the Envelope tab (Figure 161). Verify, add, or edit the
information in the Addressee and Sender (the “from” on the envelope) boxes. The sender
information is picked up from the User Data page in Tools > Options > LibreOffice
(macOS: LibreOffice > Preferences > LibreOffice).
You can type information directly into the Addressee and Sender boxes, or use the right-
hand drop-down lists to select the database or table from which you can draw the
envelope information. See Chapter 14, Mail Merge, for details on how to print envelopes
from a database.

Figure 161: Choosing addressee and sender information for an envelope

3) On the Format tab (Figure 162), verify or edit the positioning of the addressee and the
sender information. The preview area on the lower right illustrates your choices.
4) To format the text of these blocks, click the Edit button to the right. In the drop-down list
you have two choices: Character and Paragraph.
– Select Character to open a dialog similar to the standard Character dialog, where
you can set the formatting of the text.
– Select Paragraph to open a dialog similar to the standard Paragraph dialog, where
you can set the paragraph's attributes.

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 163

 Figure 162: Choosing positioning and size of elements for an envelope
5) In the lower left of this tab is the Size section. Choose the envelope format in the drop-
down list. The width and height of the selected envelope are shown in the boxes below
the selected format. If you chose a pre-existing format, just verify these sizes. If you
chose User Defined in the Format list, then you can edit the sizes.
6) After formatting, go to the Printer tab (Figure 163) to choose which printer to use, setup
(for example, specification of the tray holding envelopes), and other printer options such
as envelope orientation and shifting. You may need to experiment to see what options
work best for your printer and how the envelopes need to be positioned in the printer.

Figure 163: Choosing printer options for an envelope

164 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 7) When you have finished formatting and are ready to print, click either the New Document
button or the Insert button to finish. New Document makes only an envelope or starts a
new document with the envelope. Insert puts the envelope into your existing document as
page 1.
8) Save this file before you do anything else.
To print the envelope:
1) Choose File > Print on the Menu bar.
2) [Windows and Linux] On the Print dialog (Figure 149 on page 178), under Range and
Copies, choose Pages and type 1 in the box. Choose the required printer (which may be
different from the usual printer).
[macOS] On the Print dialog (Figure 152 on page 180), in the upper section of the dialog,
choose Pages – From: and type 1 in both boxes.
3) Click Print.

Printing labels
Labels are commonly used for printing address lists (where each label shows a different
address), but they can also be used to make multiple copies of one label, for example return-
address stickers, labels for CDs/DVDs, or other items.
Printing labels, like printing envelopes, has two steps: setup and printing. This topic is covered in
detail in Chapter 14, Mail Merge.

Exporting to PDF
LibreOffice can export documents to PDF (Portable Document Format). This standard file format
is ideal for sending the file to someone else to view using Adobe Reader or other PDF viewers.

Warning
A document in PDF format is not protected against contents tampering or editing by
default. The PDF document contents can be edited by specialized software tools,
including LibreOffice Draw.

Tip
Unlike Save As, the Export command writes a copy of the current document in a new
file with the chosen format, but keeps the current document and format open in your
session.

Quick export to PDF

Click the Export Directly as PDF icon on the Standard toolbar, or File > Export As > Export
Directly as PDF, to export the entire document using the PDF settings you most recently
selected in the PDF Options dialog. You are asked to enter the file name and location for the
PDF, but you do not get a chance to choose a page range, the image compression, or other
options.

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 165

Controlling PDF content and quality
For more control over the content and quality of the resulting PDF, use File > Export as >
Export as PDF. The PDF Options dialog opens. This dialog has six tabs (General, Initial View,
User Interface, Links, Security, and Digital Signatures). Select the appropriate settings, and then
click Export. Then you are asked to enter the location and file name of the PDF to be created,
and click Save (Windows and Linux) or Export (macOS) to export the file.

Note
You can also export to PDF with File > Export. On the Export dialog, select the PDF
file format, the file name and location, and click Save or Export. The PDF Options
dialog then opens. Select the appropriate settings and then click Export. The only
difference between the two export methods is the sequence in which steps occur.

General tab of PDF Options dialog

On the General tab (Figure 166), you can choose which pages to include in the PDF, the type of
compression to use for images (which affects the quality of images in the PDF), and other
options.
Range section
• All: Exports the entire document to PDF.
• Pages: To export a range of pages, use the format 3-6 (pages 3 to 6). To export single
pages, use the format 7;9;11 (pages 7, 9 and 11). You can also export a combination of
page ranges and single pages, by using a format like 3-6;8;10;12.
• Selection: Exports whatever material is selected.
• View PDF after export: Your default PDF viewer will open and display the newly
exported PDF.

Figure 164: General tab of PDF Options dialog

166 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Images section
• Lossless compression: Images are stored without any loss of quality. Tends to make
large files when used with photographs. Recommended for other kinds of images or
graphics.
• JPEG compression: Allows for varying degrees of quality. A setting of 90% works well
with photographs (smaller file size, little perceptible loss of quality).
• Reduce image resolution: Lower DPI (dots per inch) images have lower quality. Lower
resolutions (100 dpi or less) may be sufficient for viewing on a computer screen, but
many modern devices have much higher resolutions; and for printing it is generally
preferable to use at least 300 or 600 dpi, depending on the capability of the printer.
Higher DPI settings increase the size of the exported file.

Note
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) images with embedded previews are exported only
as previews. EPS images without embedded previews are exported as empty
placeholders.

Watermark section
• Sign with Watermark: When this option is selected, a transparent overlay of the text you
enter into the watermark text box will appear on each page of the PDF.
General section
• Hybrid PDF (embed ODF file): Use this setting to export the document as a PDF
containing two file formats: PDF and ODF. In PDF viewers it behaves like a normal PDF
file, and it remains fully editable in LibreOffice.
• Archive (PDF/A, ISO 19005): PDF/A is an ISO standard for long-term preservation of
documents, by embedding all the information necessary for faithful reproduction (such as
fonts) while forbidding other elements (including forms, security, and encryption). PDF
tags are written. PDF/A-1b refers to the minimum compliance level with PDF/A-1.
PDF/A-2b is recommended for most users, because it allows layers and transparency
with shapes and images. It also compresses better, usually producing smaller files.
PDF/A-3b is identical to PDF/A-2b, but also accepts embedding of other file formats.
• Universal Accessibility (PDF/UA): Creates a universal accessibility-complaint PDF file
that follows the requirements of PDF/UA (ISO 14289) specifications. See the Help for
more information.
• Tagged PDF: Tagged PDF contains information about the structure of the document’s
contents. This can help to display the document on devices with different screens, and
when using screen reader software. Some tags that are exported are table of contents,
hyperlinks, and controls. This option can increase file sizes significantly.
• Create PDF form – Submit format: Choose the format of submitting forms from within
the PDF file. This setting overrides the control’s URL property that you set in the
document. There is only one common setting valid for the whole PDF document: PDF
(sends the whole document), FDF (sends the control contents), HTML, and XML. Most
often you will choose the PDF format.
• Allow duplicate field names: If enabled, the same field name can be used for multiple
fields in the generated PDF file. You can enter data in the first occurrence of the named
field in the PDF document and all fields with the same name will carry your entry. If
disabled, field names will be exported using generated unique names.

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 167

 Structure section
• Export outlines: Exports headings as an outline (table of contents list) displayed by
most PDF viewers, including Adobe Reader. In Writer 7.0 and earlier, these were called
bookmarks.
• Export placeholders: The PDF will include any defined placeholder fields, which can be
filled in by users.
• Comments as PDF annotations: If selected, comments are included in the PDF as
annotations.
• Export automatically inserted blank pages: If selected, automatically inserted blank
pages are exported to the PDF. This is best if you are printing the PDF double-sided. For
example, books usually have chapters set to always start on an odd-numbered (right-
hand) page. When the previous chapter ends on an odd page, Writer inserts a blank
page between the two odd pages. This option controls whether to export that blank page.
• Use reference XObjects: Reference XObjects enable one PDF file to import content
from another. More information can be found in section 8.10.4 of the PDF specification,
ISO 32000-2:2017 (https://www.iso.org/standard/63534.html). If you are not familiar with
referenceXObjects, leave this box unchecked.

Initial View tab of PDF Options dialog

On the Initial View tab (Figure 165), you can choose how the PDF opens by default in a PDF
viewer. The selections should be self-explanatory.
If you have Complex Text Layout enabled (in Tools > Options > Language settings >
Languages), an additional selection is available under the Continuous facing option: First
page is left (normally, the first page is on the right when using the Continuous facing option).

Figure 165: Initial View tab of PDF Options dialog

User Interface tab of PDF Options dialog

On the User Interface tab (Figure 166), you can choose more settings to control how a PDF
viewer displays the file. Some of these choices are particularly useful when you are creating a
PDF to be used as a presentation or a kiosk-type display.

168 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 166: User Interface tab of PDF Options dialog
Window options section
• Resize window to initial page. The PDF viewer window will resize to fit the first page of
the PDF.
• Center window on screen. The PDF viewer window will be centered on the computer
screen.
• Open in full screen mode. The PDF viewer will open full-screen.
• Display document title. The PDF viewer will display the document’s title (as recorded in
File > Properties) in the title bar.
User interface options section
• Hide menubar. The PDF viewer will hide the Menu bar.
• Hide toolbar. The PDF viewer will hide the toolbar.
• Hide window controls. The PDF viewer will hide other window controls.
Transitions
Not available in Writer.
Collapse Outlines
Select how many heading levels are displayed in the outline, if Export Outlines is selected
on the General tab.

Links tab of PDF Options dialog

On the Links tab (Figure 167), you can choose how links in documents are exported to PDF.

Figure 167: Links tab of PDF Options dialog

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 169

 Export outlines as named destinations
Paragraphs defined in Writer’s outline levels are exported as “named destinations” to
which Web pages and PDF documents can link.
Convert document references to PDF targets
If you have defined links to other documents with OpenDocument extensions (such
as .odt, .ods, and .odp), the file extensions are converted to .pdf in the exported PDF
document.
Export URLs relative to file system
If you have defined relative links in a document, this option exports those links to the PDF.
Cross-document links
Defines the behavior of links clicked in PDF files. Select one of the alternatives:
– Default mode: The PDF links will be handled as specified in your operating system.
– Open with PDF reader application: Use the same application used to display the PDF
document to open linked PDF documents.
– Open with Internet browser: Use the default Internet browser to display linked PDF
documents.

Security tab of PDF Options dialog

PDF export includes options to encrypt the PDF (so it cannot be opened without a password) and
apply some digital rights management (DRM) features.
• With an open password set, the PDF can only be opened with the password. Once
opened, there are no restrictions on what the user can do with the document (for
example, print, copy, or change it).
• With a permissions password set, the PDF can be opened by anyone, but its permissions
can be restricted (Figure 168). After you set a password for permissions, the other
choices on the Security page become available.
• With both the open password and permission password set, the PDF can only be opened
with the correct password, and its permissions can be restricted.

Figure 168: Security tab of PDF Options dialog with passwords set

170 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Note
Permissions settings are effective only if the user’s PDF viewer respects the settings.

Digital Signatures tab of PDF Options dialog

The Digital Signatures tab (Figure 169) contains the options for exporting a digitally signed PDF.

Figure 169: Digital Signatures tab of PDF Options dialog

Digital signatures are used to ensure that the PDF was really created by the original author (that
is, you), and that the document has not been modified since it was signed.
The signed PDF export uses the keys and X.509 certificates already stored in your default key
store location or on a smartcard. The key store to be used can be selected under Tools >
Options > LibreOffice > Security > Certificate Path (Linux) or LibreOffice > Preferences >
Security > Certificate Path (macOS). [On Windows, LibreOffice uses the default Windows
location for storing and retrieving certificates.]
When using a smartcard, it must already be configured for use by your key store. This is usually
done during installation of the smartcard software. Details about using these features is outside
the scope of this chapter.
• Use this certificate to digitally sign PDF documents: Click Select to open the Select
Certificate dialog, where all certificates found in your selected key store are displayed. If
the key store is protected by a password, you are prompted for it. When using a
smartcard that is protected by a PIN, you are also prompted for that.
• Select the certificate to use for digitally signing the exported PDF, then click Sign.
• All other fields on the Digital Signatures tab are accessible only after a certificate has
been selected.
• Certificate password: Enter the password used for protecting the private key associated
with the selected certificate. Usually this is the key store password. If the key store
password has already been entered in the Select Certificate dialog, the key store may
already be unlocked and not require the password again.
• When using a smartcard, enter the PIN here. Some smartcard software will prompt you
for the PIN again before signing.
• Location, Contact information, Reason: Optionally enter additional information about the
digital signature that will be applied to the PDF. This information will be embedded in the
appropriate PDF fields and will be visible to anyone viewing the PDF. Any or all of the
three fields may be left blank.

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 171

 • Time Stamp Authority: Optionally select a Time Stamping Authority (TSA) URL. During
the PDF signing process, the TSA will be used to obtain a digitally signed timestamp that
is then embedded in the signature. Anyone viewing the PDF can use this timestamp to
verify when the document was signed.
• The list of TSA URLs that can be selected is maintained under Tools > Options >
LibreOffice > Security > TSAs. If no TSA URL is selected (the default), the signature
will not be timestamped, but will use the current time from your local computer.

Exporting to EPUB format

EPUB format has become popular since mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and
e-readers appeared on the market. The EPUB format is implemented as an archive file
consisting of HTML files carrying the content, along with images and other supporting files.
Writer can export a file to EPUB. A text-only document generally exports well, but some contents
(such as illustrations, tables, and cross-references) may not export correctly.

Quick export to EPUB

Choose File > Export As > Export Directly as EPUB to export the entire document using the
EPUB settings you most recently selected on the EPUB Export dialog (Figure 170). Enter the file
name and location for the EPUB file; you do not get a chance to select other options.

Controlling export to EPUB

For more control over the content and quality of the resulting EPUB file, use File > Export As >
Export as EPUB. The EPUB Export dialog opens (Figure 170).

Figure 170: EPUB Export dialog

172 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The EPUB Export dialog has the following fields:
Version
Choose the EPUB version for the exported file. Values are EPUB 2.0 and EPUB 3.0. Most
new e-readers can read EPUB 3.0.
Split method
Select the method to start a new section. Choose Heading to start the section on a
heading, according to the document’s chapter numbering. Choose Page break to start
the section on a page break.
Layout method
Choose Reflowable to have the ebook display change to fit the screen size and the
user’s preference (so page size and header/footer content is not exported). Choose Fixed
to have the ebook layout remain the same under all conditions.
Customize - Cover image
The path to the image file for the cover page. If no image is specified, the EPUB file will
automatically use any image with a name like cover.gif, cover.jpg, cover.png, or cover.svg.
A custom cover image is embedded in the EPUB file.
Customize - Media directory
The path to the optional directory for the cover image, metadata, and multimedia files. If
you do not specify a directory, the exporter looks for custom media and metadata in the
current document directory inside a folder with the same name as the document file
name.
Metadata
The basic information for the file that provides tags to help searches. These fields provide
another chance to edit metadata that is picked up by default from File > Properties in
Writer.

Tip
Other ways to export to EPUB from Writer (.odt) files include Calibre, an open-source
e-book manager that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Calibre provides many
e-book conversion facilities and allows editing of the result.
https://calibre-ebook.com/

Exporting to other formats

LibreOffice uses the term “export” for some file operations involving a change of file type. If you
cannot find what you want under File > Save As, look under File > Export as well. Writer can
export files to XHTML, EPUB and other formats, as shown in Figure 171.
Choose File > Export. On the Export dialog, specify a file name for the exported document, then
select the required file format and click Export.

Figure 171: Export file formats

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 173

Emailing Writer documents
LibreOffice provides several ways to quickly and easily send a Writer document as an email
attachment in one of three formats: .odt (OpenDocument Text, Writer’s default format), .docx
(Microsoft Word format), or .pdf.
To send the current document in .odt format, choose:
1) File > Send > Email Document, or File > Send > Email as OpenDocument Text. Writer
opens your default email program (if installed). The document is attached to a new email.
2) In your email program, enter the recipient, subject, and any text you want to add, then
send the email.
If you choose Email as Microsoft Word, Writer first creates a file in Word format (.docx) and then
opens your email program with the Word file attached to a new email. Similarly, if you choose
Email as PDF, Writer opens the PDF Options dialog where you can select the settings you want,
then creates a PDF, and then opens your email program with the PDF attached to a new email.

Emailing a document to several recipients

To email a document to several recipients, you can use the features in your email program or you
can use Writer’s mail merge facilities to extract email addresses from an address book.
You can use Writer’s mail merge to send email in two ways:
• Use the Mail Merge Wizard to create the document and send it.
• Create the document in Writer without using the Wizard, then use the Wizard to send it.
See Chapter 14, Mail Merge, for details.

Digital signing of documents

To sign a document digitally, you need a personal key, also known as a certificate. A personal key
is stored on your computer as a combination of a private key, which must be kept secret, and a
public key, which you add to your documents when you sign them. You can get a certificate from
a certification authority, which may be a private company or a governmental institution.
When you apply a digital signature to a document, a checksum is computed from the document’s
content plus your personal key. The checksum and your public key are stored with the document.
When someone later opens the document on any computer with a recent version of LibreOffice,
the program will compute the checksum again and compare it with the stored checksum. If both
are the same, the program will signal that you see the original, unchanged document.
In addition, the program can show you the public key information from the certificate. You can
compare the public key with the public key that is published on the web site of the certificate
authority. Whenever someone changes something in the document, this change breaks the
digital signature.
For a more detailed description of how to get and manage a certificate, and signature validation,
see the LibreOffice Help.
A signed document shows an icon in the Status bar. You can double-click the icon to view the
certificate. More than one signature can be added to a document.
Changing an existing description invalidates the signature. However, multiple signatures from the
same author are allowed, because each signature can have a different description.

174 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Applying a digital signature
The following procedure is an example of how to digitally sign a document. The actual procedure
depends on how your computer is set up and its operating system.
1) Choose File > Digital Signatures > Digital Signatures.
– If you have set LibreOffice to warn you when the document contains comments or
recorded changes (see “Removing personal data” on page 200), you may see a
message box asking whether you want to continue signing the document.
– If you have not saved the document since the last change, a message box appears.
Click Yes twice: once to continue and again to save the file.
2) The Digital Signatures dialog (Figure 172) opens. It lists existing signatures together with
their description (if they have any). Click the Sign Document button to add a new
signature to the document.

Figure 172: Signatures of the document

3) In the Select Certificate dialog (Figure 173), select your certificate, add an optional
description, and click Sign to return to the Digital Signatures dialog. The certificate used
is displayed in the dialog with an icon next to its name. This icon indicates the status of
the digital signature.
4) Click Close in the Digital Signatures dialog to apply the digital signature.

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 175

 Figure 173: Signatures can have a description

Including a signature line

You can generate a graphic box representing a signature line using Insert > Signature Line (see
Figure 174), and you can optionally sign the signature line using a digital certificate.

Figure 174: Creating a signature line for a document

176 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 175: Signature line example

Removing personal data

You may wish to ensure that personal data, versions, comments, hidden information, or recorded
changes are removed from files before you send them to other people or create PDFs from them.
In Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Security, click the Options button to display a dialog
(Figure 176) where you can set LibreOffice to warn you when files contain certain information
and/or automatically remove personal information on saving.

Figure 176: Set security warnings and options

To remove personal and some other data from a file, go to File > Properties. On the General
tab, uncheck Apply user data and click the Reset Properties button. This removes any names
in the created and modified fields, deletes the modification and printing dates, and resets the
editing time to zero, the creation date to the current date and time, and the version number to 1.
To remove version information, either (a) go to File > Versions, select the versions from the list
and click Delete, or (b) use Save As and save the file with a different name.

Redaction
You can redact documents to remove or hide sensitive information, to allow the selective
disclosure of information in a document while keeping other parts of the document secret. For
example, when a document is subpoenaed in a court case, information not specifically relevant to
the case at hand is often redacted.
To redact a document:
1) Open the document in Writer.
2) Click Tools > Redact on the Menu bar, and wait for the document to be prepared for
redaction and transferred to Draw. The Redaction toolbar (Figure 177) opens.

Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing | 177

 Figure 177: Redaction toolbar
3) Do the redaction by using the Rectangle Redaction and Freeform Redaction tools on
the Redaction toolbar. The shapes will be transparent and in gray so you can see what
you are redacting.
4) Optionally use the Export Directly as PDF tool to make an in-redaction copy of the
document in PDF to use as a verbatim copy for review. The redacted items will be in
transparent gray.
5) To finalize the redaction, select the desired option (black or white) on the Redacted
Export tool. The transparent grey shapes are converted to opaque black or white shapes
and the document is exported as a pixellized PDF. There will be no selectable text in it,
and the redacted content will be non-existent.

Auto-redaction
To partially automate the redaction process, you can define certain words (such as names) to be
redacted wherever they are found in the document. To do this, choose Tools > Auto-Redact on
the Menu bar to open the Automatic Redaction dialog (Figure 178). Here you can load a list of
terms (targets), add targets, delete targets, edit targets, and save a list of targets.

Figure 178: Automatic Redaction dialog

178 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 8,
Introduction to Styles
What are styles?
Most people are used to writing documents according to physical attributes. For example, you
might specify the font family, font size, and weight (for example: Helvetica 12pt, bold). In contrast,
styles are logical attributes. For example, you can define a set of font characteristics and call it
Title or Heading 1. In other words, styles mean that you shift the emphasis from what the text
looks like to what the text is.

Why use styles?

Styles help improve consistency in a document. They also make major formatting changes easy.
For example, you might decide to change the indentation of all paragraphs or change the font of
all titles. For a long document, this simple task could be prohibitive. Styles make the task easy. In
addition, Writer uses styles for other purposes, such as compiling a table of contents; see “Using
paragraph styles to define a hierarchy of headings” on page 225.

Style categories
LibreOffice Writer has six style categories:
• Paragraph styles affect entire paragraphs and are also used for purposes such as
compiling a table of contents.
• Character styles affect a block of text inside a paragraph; they provide exceptions to
paragraph styles.
• Page styles affect page formatting (page size, margin, and the like).
• Frame styles affect frames and images.
• List styles affect outlines, ordered (numbered) lists, and unordered (bulleted) lists.
• Table styles affect the appearance of tables of data.
Paragraphs are the building blocks of every document: headings are paragraphs; headers,
footers, and items in numbered lists are also paragraphs. Paragraph styles are, therefore, the
most frequently used styles and are the ones treated in most detail in this chapter.

Note
Manual formatting (also called direct formatting) overrides styles. You cannot get rid
of manual formatting by applying a style to it.
To remove manual formatting, select the text and choose Format > Clear Direct
Formatting on the Menu bar, or right-click and choose Clear Direct Formatting in
the context menu, or press Ctrl+M.

The Styles deck in the Sidebar

Styles management is primarily available through the Styles deck in the Sidebar (Figure 179).
Here you can apply styles, modify styles, and create new styles.
To begin, do any of the following:
• Click the Styles icon on the Sidebar.
• Choose Styles > Manage Styles on the Menu bar.
• Press F11 (⌘+T on macOS).
The first six icons at the top of the Styles deck select the category of styles. Click one of these
icons to display a list of styles in that category, such as paragraph or character styles.

180 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Select the Show previews option at the bottom of the deck to display the style names as
examples of their formatting.

Figure 179: The Styles deck, showing paragraph styles and filter

Filtering the visible styles

At the bottom of the Styles deck, use the drop-down menu to select a filter for the list of styles.
Normally, you will need only a few styles in any document, so it’s useful to have only these styles
shown.
At the beginning of the writing process, you may want to have access to all the available styles
(by selecting All Styles), and then hide some of them (Ctrl+click to select each style to be
excluded and finally right-click one of these styles and select Hide in the context menu). As the
document develops, it is quicker to reduce the list displayed to only the styles already in use (by
selecting Applied Styles). If you work on a document where you want to apply custom styles
only, select instead Custom Styles. The Hierarchical view is most useful when modifying styles
as it reveals which styles are linked together. This topic is discussed in Chapter 9, Working with
Styles.
In the Paragraph Styles view, the drop-down menu contains several more filtering options so
you can view, for example, only Text Styles, Special Styles, and so on.

Applying styles
Styles can be applied easily using the Styles deck on the Sidebar. In addition, you can apply
certain styles using other methods, as explained in this section.

Applying paragraph styles

Paragraph styles can be applied in several ways:
• Paragraph Styles tab of the Styles deck on the Sidebar
• Styles menu on the Menu Bar (limited to common styles)
• Context menu (limited)

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 181

 • Set Paragraph Style drop-down list at the left end of the Formatting toolbar and the
Formatting (Styles) toolbar
• Set Paragraph Style drop-down list at the top of the Properties deck of the Sidebar
• Formatting (Styles) toolbar (Figure 183); limited to common styles
• Fill Format Mode icon on the Styles deck on the Sidebar
• Keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+5 (Heading 1 to Heading 5)

Using the Styles deck on the Sidebar

Put the cursor in the paragraph and double-click the name of the style in the Paragraph Styles
tab of the Styles deck on the Sidebar. You can select more than one paragraph and apply the
same style to all of them at the same time.

Using the Styles menu

The Styles menu on the Menu bar (Figure 180) provides the most commonly used paragraph,
character, and list styles, plus quick links to create, edit, and manage styles. You can add styles
to the Styles menu; see Chapter 20, Customizing Writer. To apply a paragraph style, put the
cursor in the paragraph and click Styles > [name of paragraph style] on the Menu bar. The
other choices on this menu are described later in this chapter.

Figure 180: The Styles menu

182 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Using the context (right-click) menu
Right-click anywhere in a paragraph to open the context menu. Choose Paragraph. The
submenu (Figure 181) includes some commonly used paragraph styles. You can add paragraph
styles to this submenu; see Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.

Figure 181: Context menu, Paragraph submenu

Using the Set Paragraph Style list

When a paragraph style is in use in a document, the style name appears on the Set Paragraph
Style list near the left end of the Formatting toolbar (see Figure 182), the Formatting (Styles)
toolbar, and the top of the Properties deck on the Sidebar.

Figure 182: The Set Paragraph

Style list on the Formatting bar
To apply a style from this list, put the cursor in the paragraph to change, and then click the arrow
to drop down the list of styles and click the desired style; or drop down the list and use the up or
down arrow keys to move through the list, then press Enter to apply the highlighted style.

Tip
If the Sidebar Styles deck is not open, you can select Manage Styles at the bottom
of the list to open it.

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 183

Using the Formatting (Styles) toolbar
The Formatting (Styles) toolbar (Figure 183) includes common paragraph, character, and list
styles. Use View > Toolbars > Formatting (Styles) on the Menu bar to display it.
To apply a paragraph style, put the cursor in the paragraph and click the relevant button on the
toolbar. You can add styles to the this toolbar; see Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.

Figure 183: Formatting (Styles) toolbar

Using Fill Format Mode

You can use Fill Format Mode to apply a style to many areas quickly without having to go back to
the Styles deck and double-click each time. This method is useful for formatting scattered
paragraphs, words, or other items with the same style, and it may be easier to use than making
multiple selections first and then applying a style to all of them.
1) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar (Figure 179).
2) Select a style to copy, and then click the Fill Format Mode icon at the top right.
3) To apply a paragraph, page, or frame style, hover the mouse over the paragraph, page, or
frame and click. To apply a character style, hold down the mouse button while selecting
the characters. Clicking on a word applies the character style to that word.
4) Repeat step 3 until you have made all the changes for that style.
5) To quit Fill Format mode, click the icon again or press the Esc key.

Using keyboard shortcuts

Some keyboard shortcuts for applying styles are predefined. For example, Ctrl+0 applies the
Text body style, Ctrl+1 applies the Heading 1 style, and Ctrl+2 applies the Heading 2 style.
You can modify these shortcuts and create your own; see Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, for
instructions.

Applying character styles

To apply a character style, select the characters or words and apply the character style from any
of the following:
• Styles menu on the Menu bar (limited)
• Character Styles tab of the Styles deck on the Sidebar
• Right-click context menu (limited)
• Formatting (Styles) toolbar (Figure 183)

Tip
You may need to remove direct formatting before applying character styles. Select
the text, then choose Format > Clear Direct Formatting on the Menu bar, or right-
click and choose Clear Direct Formatting from the context menu, or press Ctrl+M.

Using the Styles menu

The Styles menu on the Menu bar (Figure 180) provides the most commonly used paragraph,
character, and list styles, plus quick links to create and edit styles. To apply a character style,
select the characters and click Styles > [name of character style]. You can add styles to the
Styles menu; see Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.

184 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Using the Styles deck on the Sidebar
Open the Styles deck and click the Character Styles icon at the top. The list of available
character styles is displayed. To apply a character style:
1) Select the text, or put the cursor into a single word, where you wish to apply the style.
2) Double-click the appropriate character style on the Styles deck.

Note
To apply a character style to more than a single word, you need to select all of the
text to be changed. To apply the style to a single word, you only have to place the
cursor in the word. In contrast, paragraph styles are applied to the whole of the
paragraph in which the cursor is placed.

Using the context (right-click) menu

Select the block of text, or put the cursor into the single word, then right-click to open the context
menu. Choose Character. The submenu (Figure 184) includes some commonly used character
styles. You can add character styles to this submenu; see Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.

Figure 184: Context menu, Character submenu

Using the Formatting (Styles) toolbar

The Formatting (Styles) toolbar (Figure 183) includes common paragraph, character, and list
styles. If it not visible, use View > Toolbars > Formatting (Styles) on the Menu bar to display it.
To apply a character style, select the text or put the cursor in a word and click the relevant icon
on the toolbar. You can add styles to the this toolbar; see Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.

Removing or replacing character styles

To remove the character style formatting from some text, or change the character style to a
different style, do this:
1) Select the text.
2) In the Styles deck on the Sidebar, click the Character Styles icon in the top bar.
3) Double-click the required character style, or double-click No Character Style to remove
the character style.

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 185

Applying frame styles
When you insert an object (such as a graphic) into a document, it will automatically have an
invisible frame around it. Some designers like to add frame styles to introduce variety. For
example, you could have one frame style for photographs and a different frame style for other
graphics such as line drawings. The one for photographs might have a border with a drop
shadow, while the one for drawings might have only a border.
To apply a style to a frame:
1) Select the frame.
2) In the Styles deck on the Sidebar, click the Frame Styles icon in the top bar.
3) Double-click the required frame style.
Having applied a style to a frame, you can now modify the frame to be just how you want it. Most
of a frame’s design can be set in a style, but the following options must be set manually:
• Anchoring: how the frame is positioned in relation to the rest of the page’s contents
(Format > Anchor). See Chapter 11, Images and Graphics, for details on anchoring
images, frames, and other objects.
• Arrangement: the frame’s position in a stack of objects (Format > Arrange). See Chapter
11, Images and Graphics, for details on arranging images, frames, and other objects.
• Adding a hyperlink: so that a click on the frame opens a web page or another document
(Insert > Hyperlink).
When a frame is selected, the Frame toolbar replaces the Formatting toolbar, and the context
menu has items for anchoring, arrangement, wrap, and alignment.

Applying page styles

Put the cursor anywhere on the page. The applied page style is shown on the Status bar.

Figure 185: The current page style is displayed on the status bar
To apply a different page style:
• Right-click on the style on the status bar and select a style from the context menu, or
• Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar, select the Page Styles icon at the top (fourth icon),
and then double-click the desired page style.

Caution
Changing a page style may also cause the style of subsequent pages to change.
The results may not be what you want. To change the style of only one page, you
may need to insert a manual page break, as described below.

As discussed in Chapter 9, Working with Styles, a correctly set up page style will, in most cases,
contain information on what the page style of the next page should be. For example, when you
apply a Left Page style to a page, you can indicate in the page style settings that the next page
must have a Right Page style; a First Page style could be followed by either a Left Page style or
a Default Page Style; or any sequence you prefer.
Another way to change the page style is to insert a manual page break and specify the style of
the subsequent page. The idea is simple: you break a sequence of page styles and start a new
sequence. To insert a page break, choose Insert > More Breaks > Manual Break. This section
illustrates two common scenarios where page breaks are useful.

186 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Example: Chapters
A possible scenario: You are writing a book that is divided into chapters. Each chapter starts with
a page style called First Page. The following pages use the Default Page Style. At the end of
each (except the last) chapter, we return to the First Page style for the next chapter.
Figure 186 illustrates the flow of page styles when using page breaks.

Figure 186: Dividing a document into chapters using page styles

At some point, you will want to start a new chapter. Follow these steps:
1) Put the cursor at the end of the chapter, on a blank line (empty paragraph) of its own.
2) Choose Insert > More Breaks > Manual Break. The Insert Break dialog (Figure 187)
opens.
3) Under Type, choose Page break and under Style, select First Page.

Figure 187: Choose Page break

and select the First Page style

Tip
You can automate these breaks by defining the paragraph style of the chapter’s title
(usually Heading 1) to include a page break.

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 187

Example: Page with special formatting
Sometimes you may need to insert a page with special formatting, for example a landscape page
or a page with more columns. This can also be done with page breaks. Suppose that the current
page has the Default Page Style.
1) Choose Insert > More Breaks > Manual Break.
2) Select the desired page style (say, Special Page) in the Insert Break dialog.
3) Type something on this page. Then insert another page break, selecting Default Page
Style again.
This concept is illustrated in Figure 188.

Figure 188: Inserting a page with special formatting

Example: A book chapter sequence of pages

Book chapters typically start on a right-hand page, with the first page of the chapter having a
different layout from the rest of the pages. The other pages in the chapter are “mirrored” for
double-sided printing. For example, page numbers in the header or footer may be positioned on
the outside edge of pages and a wider margin (allowing for binding) provided on the inside edge.
Table 6 shows the properties of two page styles (First Page and Default Page Style) set up for a
typical book chapter’s sequence of pages.
Table 6: Properties of customized page styles for a book chapter
Page Style Desired effect Property: setting
First Page First page always on the right (an
Page > Page layout > Only right
odd-numbered page)
No header or footer Header > Header on: Not selected
Top margin of page larger than on
Page > Margins > Top: 6.00cm
other pages
Default Page Mirrored margins Page > Page layout: Mirrored
Style
Header with page number on the Header > Header on: Selected
top outside edge of each page Header > Header > Same content
left/right: Not selected
Header > Header > Same content
First page: Selected

Figure 189 illustrates the transitions from the First Page to Default Page Style, with the change of
header between left and right pages shown by the # symbol.

Figure 189: First Page and then the Default Page

Style with different headers for alternate pages

188 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Step 1. Set up the First Page style.
1) On the Styles deck, click the Page Styles icon to display a list of page styles.
2) Right-click First Page and select Modify in the context menu.
3) On the Organizer tab of the Page Style: First Page dialog, change Next Style to Default
Page Style.

Figure 190: Specifying the next style after the first page of a chapter

4) On the Page tab, specify either a gutter margin or a larger left margin for binding, and a
larger top margin to move the chapter title down the page. See Chapter 9, Working with
Styles, for more information about using gutter margins. This example does not use one.

Figure 191: Setting page margins and layout for the First Page style
5) On the Header and Footer tabs, be sure the Header on and Footer on options are not
selected. Click OK to save your changes.
Step 2. Set up the Default Page Style.
1) On the Styles deck, in the list of page styles, right-click Default Page Style and select
Modify in the context menu.
2) On the Organizer tab of the Page Style: Default Page Style dialog, be sure Next Style is
set to Default Page Style.

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 189

 3) On the Page tab of the Page Style: Default Page Style dialog, select Mirrored for Page
layout and set the Inner and Outer margins to the same width as the Left and Right
margins, respectively, on the First Page style. If a gutter margin has been set for the First
Page style, use the same width for the gutter margin on the Default Page Style.

Figure 192: Setting page margins and layout for the Default Page Style
4) On the Header tab of the Page Style: Default Page Style dialog (Figure 193), select
Header on and Same content on first page. Deselect Same content on left and right
pages. Click OK to save your changes.

Figure 193: Setting up the header properties for the Default Page Style
Step 5. Set up the page numbers in the page headers.
1) Insert two page breaks in the document. You should now have one page with the First
Page style, followed by two page of Default Page Style.
2) On the first (left hand) page with Default Page Style, place the cursor in the header and
insert a page number field (Insert > Page Number). Keep the paragraph alignment set to
left aligned.

190 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 3) On the next (right hand) page with Default Page Style, place the cursor in the header and
insert a page number field. Change the paragraph alignment to right aligned.
You can delete these blank pages that have been used to configure the headers. The settings will
remain in the file.
Step 4. Set up the Heading 1 paragraph style to begin chapters with the First Page style.
1) On the Styles deck, on the Paragraph Styles tab, right-click Heading 1 and select Modify.
2) On the Text Flow tab of the Paragraph Style dialog, in the Breaks section, select Insert,
With Page Style, and First Page. Click OK to save your changes.

Figure 194: Setting a paragraph style to start on a page of a selected style

Now when you apply the Heading 1 paragraph style to the paragraph that will be the title of the
chapter, it will automatically start on a new page with the First Page style.

Note
By default, the Heading 1 paragraph style is assigned to Outline Level 1. The
assignment of paragraph styles to outline levels is done through Tools > Chapter
Numbering.

Applying list styles

List styles define properties such as indentation, numbering style (for example, 1,2,3; a,b,c; or
bullets), and punctuation after the number, but they do not by themselves define properties such
as font, borders, text flow, and so on. The latter are properties of paragraph styles.
Although you can apply list styles using the Styles menu or the Styles deck in the Sidebar, those
methods are not recommended.
Whenever possible, use paragraph styles for creating bulleted and numbered lists. Writer comes
with two sets of paragraph styles for this purpose. It is recommended to use list styles and
paragraph styles together in these ways:
• Use paragraph styles List 1, List 2, List 3, and so on for creating unordered (bulleted)
lists. These styles use Bullet list styles.
• Use paragraph styles Numbering 1, Numbering 2, Numbering 3, etc, for creating ordered
(numbered) lists. These styles use the list styles called Numbering 1, Numbering 2, etc.
Writer has several predefined list styles, which use different bullet symbols or number sequences
(123, abc, ABC, and so on). As with any style, you can redefine the properties of these styles, for
example the numbering or bullet symbol and the indentation. You can also define other list styles
in these series or create your own series. For more information, see Chapter 9, Working with
Styles. Much more information about list styles is in Chapter 12, Lists.

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 191

Applying table styles
Table styles define properties such as the font, paragraph spacing, number of columns, borders,
and background color.
To apply a table style, position the cursor anywhere in the table, go to the Styles deck on the
Sidebar, choose Table Styles, then double-click the name of a style on the list.
See Chapter 13, Tables, for information on creating a table style.

Creating and modifying styles

Writer provides many predefined styles, which are useful when sharing a document to another
machine, especially one with a different language version of LibreOffice, but you may find that
they do not fit your preferences. You can modify the predefined styles or build your own library of
custom styles to use in addition to or in place of the predefined ones.

Note
New styles you create or changes you make to an existing style are available only
within the document they belong to. Styles always stay with a document.
If you want to reuse modified or new styles in other documents, either save the
styles in a template (see Chapter 10, Working with Templates) or copy the styles into
the other documents, as described in “Load Styles (from a template or document)”
on page 220.

Writer provides these methods to modify both predefined and custom (user-created) styles:
• Create or update a style from a selection
• Load or copy styles from another document or template
• Change a style using the Style dialog
• Use AutoUpdate (paragraph and frame styles only)
• Use AutoFormat (table styles only); see Chapter 13, Tables

Using the Styles actions menu

The last icon at the top of the Styles deck, Styles actions, provides three functions: New Style
from Selection, Update Selected Style, and Load Styles from Template. These functions are also
available from the Styles menu on the Menu bar.

New Style from Selection

Use New Style from Selection to create a new style from the formatting of an item in the current
document. For example, you can change the formatting of a paragraph until it appears as you
like, and then you can turn that formatting into a new style. This procedure can save time
because you do not have to remember all the formatting settings you want, as is necessary when
creating a new style with the Style dialog. In addition, you can immediately see how the item will
look when formatted with the style you are creating.
Follow these steps to create a new style from a selection:
1) In the document, change the formatting of the object (paragraph, frame, and so on) to
your liking. Select the item you want to save as a style.
2) Open the Styles deck in the Sidebar and choose the category of style to create
(paragraph, character, and so on) from the tabs at the top.
3) Click the Styles actions icon, then select New Style from Selection (Figure 195).

192 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 195: Styles Actions menu in Sidebar
4) The New Style from Selection dialog shows the names of any existing custom styles of
the selected type. Type a name for the new style and click OK to save it.

Update Selected Style

Follow these steps to update a paragraph style from a selection:
1) Create a new paragraph (or select an existing paragraph) and edit all the properties you
want to alter in the style, such as indentation, font properties, alignment, and others.

Note
Make sure that the properties in this paragraph are uniform. For example, if there are
two different font sizes in the paragraph, that property will not be updated.

2) Click anywhere in the paragraph.

3) On the Styles deck of the Sidebar, select the style you want to update (single-click, not
double-click) and then click the Styles actions icon and select Update Selected Style.
The procedure to update another category of style (character, page, or frame styles) is the same:
select the item in question, modify it, select the style you want to update, and choose Update
Selected Style from the Styles actions icon.

Load Styles (from a template or document)

The last option under the Styles actions icon is Load Styles from Template, which is used to
copy styles into the current document by loading them from a template or another document.
Using this method, you can copy all styles, or groups of styles, at one time.
1) Open the document to copy styles into.
2) On the Styles deck, click the Styles actions icon and then Load Styles from Template
(Figure 195).
3) On the Load Styles from Template dialog (Figure 196), find and select the template to
copy styles from.
4) Select the options for the types of styles to be copied: Paragraph and Character, Frame,
Page, or List. If you select Overwrite, the styles being copied will replace any styles of
the same names in the target document.
5) Click OK to copy the styles.

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 193

 Figure 196: Loading styles from a template

If the styles you want are contained in a text document rather than a template:
1) Select the type of styles you want to copy.
2) Click the From File button to open a file browser, where you can select the required
document.
3) Click Open to copy the styles to the open document.

Drag-and-drop a selection to create a style

Another way to create a new style is to drag-and-drop a text selection into the Styles deck.
1) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar.
2) Select the style category you are going to create (for example a character style) using
one of the icons near the top of the deck.
3) Select the object on which you want to base the style and drag it to the Styles deck. The
cursor changes to indicate whether the operation is possible.
4) In the Create Style dialog, type a name for the new style and click OK to save the style.

Note
You cannot use the drag-and-drop method to create a new page style or table style.

Changing a style using the Style dialog

To change a style (but not a table style) using the Style dialog, right-click the style in the Styles
deck and select Modify in the context menu.
The dialog displayed depends on the type of style selected. Each style’s dialog has several tabs.
The properties on these dialogs are described in Chapter 9, Working with Styles.
See Chapter 13, Tables, for information on changing a table style.

194 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Using AutoUpdate
On the Organizer tab of the Paragraph Style and Frame Style dialogs is an AutoUpdate option
(marked in Figure 197). If this option is selected, then LibreOffice will apply to the style any
modification made manually to a paragraph formatted with that style.

Caution
If you are in the habit of manually overriding styles in your document, be sure that
AutoUpdate is not enabled, or you may suddenly find whole sections of your
document reformatting unexpectedly.

Figure 197: The Organizer page of the Paragraph Style dialog

Deleting styles
It is not possible to delete LibreOffice’s predefined styles from a document or template, even if
they are not in use. However, custom styles can be deleted.
To delete any unwanted styles using the Styles deck of the Sidebar, select each one to be
deleted (hold Ctrl while selecting multiple styles), and then right-click and select Delete in the
context menu. If the style is in use, a message appears warning you that the style is in use and
asking you to verify that you really want to delete the style.
If the style is not in use, it is deleted immediately without confirmation.

Note
If you delete a style that is in use, all objects with that style will return to the style it
was based on (inherited from) but may retain some of the deleted style’s formatting
as manual formatting.

Tip
If an unwanted paragraph style is in use, you can use Find and Replace to replace it
with a substitute style before deleting it. See Chapter 3, Working with Text:
Advanced, for more information.

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 195

Example: creating and modifying paragraph styles
This section provides an example of a typical use of custom paragraph styles. We will create a
Poem paragraph style and a Poem Header paragraph style, with the following properties:
• Poem: Centered, with a font size of 10pt.
• Poem Heading: Centered, bold, with a 12pt font size.
In addition, a Poem Heading style is to be followed by a Poem style. In other words, when you
press Enter at the end of a paragraph in the Poem Heading paragraph style, the paragraph
style for the next paragraph in the document changes to Poem.

Note
You may have noticed this behavior already. After you enter a heading using a
Heading paragraph style and press Enter, the next style switches to Text body.

Creating the Poem paragraph style

We will use the Default Paragraph Style as a starting point.
1) On the Styles deck, click the Paragraph Styles icon.
2) Right-click Default Paragraph Style and choose New.
On the Paragraph Style dialog, select the Organizer tab. To create a custom style, you need to
configure the top three entries.

Style fields Description

Name The name of the style itself, like Heading 1 or Text body.
Type the name Poem.
Next Style The style of the paragraph that follows the paragraph that is in the Poem
style. When you press Enter while typing text in the Poem style, this
style is automatically applied to the new paragraph.
Set this value to Poem.
Inherit from If the properties of the Poem style are inherited from another style, say
Default Paragraph Style, then any change in Default will affect Poem.
For our example, this is not the behavior we want. Set this entry to
– None –. This means that Poem is not inherited from any other style.

Do not select AutoUpdate. After making these changes, the dialog should look like Figure 198.

Figure 198: Initial configuration for the Poem style. Set the first three entries as shown.

196 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The next step is to configure the alignment and font properties of this style.
• On the Alignment page, select the Center option.
• On the Font page, select the 12pt font size.
Click OK to save the new Poem style.

Creating the Poem Heading style

To create a new Poem Heading style, use the same procedure as above, with these changes:
• Next Style: Select Poem, not Poem Heading. When you press Enter while typing text in
the Poem Heading style, the Poem style is automatically applied to the new paragraph.
• Inherit from: Heading.
The dialog should look like Figure 199.

Figure 199: Settings for the Poem Heading style

Now choose the settings of the new style:
1) On the Alignment page, select Center.
2) On the Font page, choose a font and select typeface Bold and size 14pt.
3) Click OK to save the new Poem Heading style.

Sample poem
It is a good idea to test out your new styles and see if you are happy with them. Typing a poem
using the styles we have just defined should produce the results in Figure 200.

Figure 200: Sample poem

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 197

Changing the formatting of your styles
One of the main advantages of styles is that they allow the document formatting to be changed
after the content has been written. For example, suppose you have written a 100-page book of
poetry and used the style settings described above. Then you (or your publisher) decide you do
not like the way the poems look; you prefer them to be left-aligned, not centered.
To change the alignment of the Poem and Poem Heading styles:
1) In the Styles deck, right-click Poem and select Modify.
2) On the Alignment page of the Paragraph Style dialog, select Left.
3) Click OK, and you should see the text change.
4) Repeat these changes for the Poem Heading style.
The poem should now look similar to Figure 201.

Figure 201: Result after changes to the styles

Using paragraph styles to define a hierarchy of headings

Paragraph styles are the key to Writer’s table of contents feature. Tools > Chapter Numbering
defines the hierarchy of headings in a document. The default paragraph styles assigned to
heading levels are the heading styles supplied with Writer: Heading 1, Heading 2, and so on.
However, you can substitute any styles you wish, including custom (user-defined) styles.
The headings defined using the chapter numbering feature can be used for more than the table
of contents (described in Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies). For example,
fields are commonly used to display section headings in headers and footers of pages (see
Chapter 17, Fields).

Choosing paragraph styles for heading levels

If you are using the default heading styles for the headings in your outline, and you do not want
to use heading numbering, you do not need to do anything on the Chapter Numbering dialog.
The default outline numbering scheme uses the default heading styles.
To use custom styles in place of one or more of the default heading styles:
1) Choose Tools > Chapter Numbering to open the Chapter Numbering dialog (Figure
202).
2) On the Numbering tab, click the number in the Level box corresponding to the heading for
which you want to change the paragraph style.

198 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 3) In the Numbering: Paragraph Style section, choose in the drop-down list the paragraph
style you want to assign to that heading level. In this example, you might choose
My Heading 1 to replace Heading 1 and for Level 2, My Heading 2 to replace Heading 2.
4) Repeat for each numbering level that you want to change. Click OK when done.

Figure 202: Choosing paragraph styles for numbering levels

Assigning outline levels to other styles

In Writer, you can assign an outline level to any paragraph style. This feature enables you to
create a table of contents that includes those headings along with the headings using styles
listed in the Chapter Numbering dialog. For example, you might use a different sequence of
styles for appendixes, but you want the appendix headings and subheadings to appear in the
table of contents at the same levels as the chapter headings and subheadings.
To assign an outline level to a paragraph style, go to the Outline & List tab for the style, and
select the required outline level from the drop-down list. Click OK to save this change.

Figure 203: Specifying an outline level for a

paragraph style

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 199

Setting up heading numbering
If you want one or more heading levels to be numbered, many choices are available; this
example defines a scheme to create headings that look like those in the illustration below.

Figure 204: The numbering scheme to be set up

Use the Numbering tab of the Chapter Numbering dialog to define the numbering scheme and its
appearance. Figure 205 shows the default settings.

Figure 205: Default settings on the Chapter Numbering dialog

1) In the Level list, choose 1. In the Number list, choose 1, 2, 3, …. The result is shown in
the preview box on the right in Figure 206.

200 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 206: Specifying numbering of Level 1 headings
2) In the Level list, choose 2. In the Number list, choose 1, 2, 3, …. The Show sublevels field
is now active; it should show 2 (if not, choose 2). The result is shown in Figure 207.

Figure 207: Specifying numbering of Level 2 headings

3) In the Level list, choose 3. In the Number list, choose 1, 2, 3, …. The Show sublevels field
should show 3 (if not, choose 3). The result is shown in Figure 208.

Figure 208: Specifying numbering of Level 3 headings

These choices produce the layout shown in Figure 209.

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 201

 Figure 209: Results of numbering choices for headings

Setting up the indentation of headings

Whether or not the headings are numbered, you may want to change some of their formatting.
For example, you may want the second-level and third-level headings to be indented from the
margin. For numbered headings, you may also want the second line of long headings to line up
with the first word of the heading, not the number. For these changes, use the Position tab of the
Chapter Numbering dialog.
As an example, we will change the position and wrapping of a Heading 2:
1) In the Level list on the left, choose 2. Change the values for Numbering followed by, Tab
stop at and Aligned at, as shown in Figure 210. You may want to use a different value.

Figure 210: Indenting Level 2 headings

This indents the entire heading but does not affect the way long headings wrap around
(Figure 211).

Figure 211: Result of changes to indentation of Level 2 headings

2) To change the wrapping behavior of long headings, change Indent at to a larger value, as
shown in Figure 212. The result is shown in Figure 213.

202 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 212: Wrapping long headings

Figure 213: Result of changing Indent at value

Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles | 203

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 9,
Working with Styles
Introduction
Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles, describes the basics of how to use, apply, and manage styles.
This chapter gives a more detailed description of how to create or modify some styles, using the
many options available on the various tabs of the Style dialog. It explains how these options
affect the appearance of the style and how to use them efficiently.
The Style dialogs share many of the same tabs as the manual formatting dialogs, so this chapter
can also help you apply manual formatting (though you do not need that if you use styles).

Creating custom (new) styles

In addition to using the predefined styles provided by LibreOffice, you can add new custom (user-
defined) styles. In Chapter 8, three methods are given for creating a new style: drag-and-drop,
the New Style from Selection icon on the Styles deck, and the Style dialog.
The first two of these methods are convenient because you can check the visual effects that the
style produces before creating it. However, for full control over the style (and its relationship to
other styles), you need to use the Style dialog, as described in this chapter.

Note
Table styles are created in a different way; see Chapter 13, Tables.

Style dialog
Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar. Select the category of style you want to create by clicking
on the appropriate icon on the top part of the Styles deck.
Right-click in the window and select New in the context menu. The dialog that is displayed
depends on the type of style you selected.

Tip
The dialogs used to create a new style and to modify an existing style are mostly the
same, but with one exception: conditional styles have a different dialog. See “Using
conditional paragraph styles” on page 248.

Organizer tab
The Organizer tab, shown in Figure 214, is common to all style categories (except Table styles),
with only small differences between them. Therefore, it is described only once.
Depending on the style you are creating, you will find the following fields on this tab:
• Name: present on all the categories. Use this field to name the style you are creating.
• AutoUpdate: only present for paragraph and frame styles. If this option is selected, then
Writer will apply any manual modification to a paragraph or frame formatted with that
style to the style itself.

Caution
If you are in the habit of manually overriding styles in your document, be sure that
AutoUpdate is not enabled, or you may suddenly find whole sections of your
document reformatted unexpectedly.

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 205

 Figure 214: The Organizer tab displayed when a new Paragraph style is created

• Next Style: only available for paragraph and page styles. Use it to specify which style will
be applied to the next element of the same type. For example, a left page style is usually
followed by a right page style, a first page style followed by a left page style, a heading
followed by a text body, and so on.
• Inherit from: available for paragraph, character, and frame styles; it determines the
position of the style in the hierarchy. All the starting properties of the new style are
inherited (copied) from the style specified here; see below for more information.
• Category: available for all styles; use it to associate the new style with one of the
categories. You cannot change the category of the predefined styles. Setting this field is
useful when filtering the contents of the Styles deck.
• Contains: shows a summary of the properties of the style.

Style inheritance
When creating a new paragraph style or a new character style, you
can use an existing style as a starting point for its settings. In this
sense, LibreOffice links the styles together.
When style settings are inherited, a change in the parent style
affects every style inherited from it. To see the connections between
styles, switch to the Hierarchical view on the Styles deck filter. For
example, every Heading style (such as Heading 1, Heading 2) is
inherited from a style called Heading. This relationship is illustrated
in Figure 215. Figure 215: Hierarchical
view of inheritance in styles
Inheritance is a method to create “families” of styles in which you can change their properties
simultaneously. For example, if you decide that all the headings should be green (such as in this
guide), you only need to change the font color of the parent style to achieve the desired result.
However, changes made to a parameter of the parent style do not override changes previously
made to the same parameter in the child styles. For example, if you change the Heading 2 font
color to green, a change of the font color of the Heading style (the parent style) to red will not
affect the Heading 2 font color.
You can easily check which properties are specific to a style by looking at the Contains section of
the Organizer tab. If you want to reset the properties of a child style to that of the parent style,
click the Reset to Parent button located at the bottom of each Paragraph and Character style
dialog.

206 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Example: Changing a property of a parent style
Suppose that you want to change the font of not only Heading 1 or Heading 2, but all headings.
1) Open the Styles deck, select the Paragraph Styles category, right-click Heading, then
select Modify to open the Paragraph Style dialog for the Heading style.
2) Select the Font tab, then select a font and click OK. Now the fonts of all the heading
styles (Heading 1 through Heading 10) are changed in a single operation.

Figure 216: Select the Heading font

Working with paragraph styles

Although this section describes most of the parameters scattered over the tabbed pages shown
in Figure 216, you do not need to configure them all. In most cases, you need to modify only a
few attributes, particularly if you link styles or base the new style on a similar one.

Indents & Spacing tab

On the Indents & Spacing tab (Figure 217), you can set up the indentation of the paragraph and
the spacing between lines and between one paragraph and the paragraphs above and below.

Figure 217: Settings on the Indents and Spacing tab of a paragraph style dialog

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 207

Use the Indent section of the tab to set up the indentation, using these parameters:
• Before text: controls the space in the selected unit of measurement between the left
margin of the page and the leftmost part of the paragraph area. Entering a negative value
results in the text starting on the left of the margin. This may be useful in situations where
your left margin is quite wide, but you want the headings to be centered in the page.
• After text: controls the space in the selected unit of measurement between the right
margin of the page and the rightmost part of the paragraph area. Entering a negative
value results in the text extending into the right margin of the page.
• First line: enter the offset in this box (either positive or negative) of the first line of the
paragraph relative to the paragraph area. A positive value increases the indentation of
the first line, while a negative value makes the first line start to the left of the paragraph
area.
• Automatic: select this box to allow Writer to automatically control the indentation of the
first line. The value is calculated by Writer on the basis of the font size and other
parameters.
Use the Spacing section of the tab to determine the amount of vertical space above and below
the paragraph. It is customary to include some “space above” in heading styles so that they are
separated from the text body of the previous section without the need to insert empty
paragraphs. Spacing between paragraphs is also normal in certain types of documents. The
body text style of this guide is configured to leave some space between consecutive paragraphs.
You can select the option to remove space between paragraphs of the same style.

Note
An option in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Compatibility controls
whether space above and space below are added together (the default) or if the
larger space is the only one that applies. See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, for
more information.

The spacing between paragraphs does not affect the spacing between lines within a paragraph,
which is controlled in the Line spacing section. You can select one of the following values:
• Single: the default setting—applies a single line spacing to the paragraph. This is
calculated automatically based on the font size.
• 1.15 lines: sets the line spacing to 1.15 lines. This small increase often improves the
appearance of text without using a lot of vertical space.
• 1.5 lines: sets the line spacing to 1.5 lines.
• Double: sets the line spacing to 2 lines.
• Proportional: activates the edit box next to the drop-down list where you can enter a
percentage value. 100% means a single line spacing, 200% double line spacing, and so
on.
• At least: this choice activates the edit box next to the drop-down list, where you can
enter the minimum value (in your selected unit of measurement) to be used for the line
spacing.
• Leading: if this is selected, you can control the height of the vertical space between the
base lines of two successive lines of text, by entering a value, which is summed with the
value of single line spacing, into the edit box.
• Fixed: this choice activates the edit box next to the drop-down list, where you can enter
the exact value of the line spacing.

208 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
When using different font sizes in the same paragraph, the line spacing may be
uneven. To obtain evenly spaced lines, select Fixed or At least in the drop-down list
and a value that is large enough to create a spacing between the lines sufficient to
account for the largest font size used.

The last option on this tab is Activate page line-spacing. It works with the Use page line-
spacing option for a page style (see page 253). See the Help and Chapter 6, Formatting Pages:
Advanced, for more information on the use of these options.

Alignment tab
Use the Alignment tab to modify the horizontal alignment of the text, choosing between Left,
Right, Center, and Justified. The results of the selection are shown in a preview window on the
right-hand side of the tab.
When selecting Justified alignment, you can also decide how Writer should treat the last line of
the paragraph. By default, Writer aligns the last line to the left (Start), but you can choose to align
it to the center or to justify it (meaning that the words on the last line will be spaced in order to
occupy it fully). If you have selected to justify the last line and select the Expand single word
option, then when the last line of a justified paragraph consists of a single word, this word is
stretched by inserting spaces between characters so that it occupies the full length of the line.
The Alignment tab is also used to control the Text to Text vertical alignment, useful when you
have mixed font sizes on the same row. Choose the element of the fonts on the line that will be
aligned between Automatic, Base line, Top, Middle, Bottom. Refer to Figure 218 for a visual
representation of these reference points.

Figure 218: Text to text vertical alignment: Base line, Top, Middle, Bottom

Text flow options for paragraph styles

The Text Flow tab (Figure 219) has three parts: Hyphenation, Breaks, and Options.

Hyphenation options
When Automatically is selected under Hyphenation, these options are available:
Don't hyphenate words in CAPS
Don't insert hyphens in words written entirely in capital letters.
Don't hyphenate the last word
Don't insert hyphens in the last word of a paragraph.
Characters at line end
Controls the minimum number of characters to be left at the end of a line.
Characters at line begin
Controls the minimum number of characters that must appear at the beginning of the line
following a hyphen.

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 209

 Maximum consecutive hyphenated lines
Controls the maximum number of consecutive lines that can be hyphenated. The
typographical standard is 2.
Minimum word length in characters
Specify the minimum word length in characters that can be hyphenated.
Hyphenation zone
Specify the length of the horizontal space in which a word cannot be hyphenated; instead,
the line of text will break between words. Specifying a hyphenation zone results in
enlarged spaces between words in justified text, and greater distance from paragraph
margins in non-justified text.

Figure 219: The Text Flow tab of the Paragraph Style dialog

Breaks options
In the Breaks section, you can require a paragraph to start on a new page or column and specify
the position of the break, the style of the new page, and the page number. A typical use for this
option is to start the first page of a new chapter on a new (usually right-hand) page.
To always start a new page with a particular style, choose the following settings:
• In the Breaks section, select Insert. Make sure that Type is set to Page and Position is
set to Before.
• Select With Page Style and choose the page style from the list.
• To continue page numbering from the previous chapter, do not select the Page number
option. To restart each chapter’s page numbering at 1 (a style used in some technical
documents), select Page number and set it to 1.

210 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Note
If you want the first page of a new chapter to always start on a right-hand page,
make sure that the page style for the first chapter page is set for the right page only
by making this selection in the Layout settings field on the Page tab of the Page
Style dialog (see Figure 230 on page 253).

Other options
The Options section of the Text Flow tab provides settings to control what happens when a
paragraph does not fit on the bottom of a page:
• Do not split paragraph: If a paragraph does not fit on the bottom of one page, the entire
paragraph moves to the top of the next page. This could cause a large blank space at the
bottom on the page.
• Keep with next paragraph: Use for headings or the lead-in sentence to a list, to ensure
that it is not the last paragraph on a page.
• Orphan control and Widow control: Widows and orphans are typographic terms. An
orphan is the first line of a paragraph alone at the bottom of a page or column. A widow is
the last line of a paragraph that appears alone at the top of the next page or column. Use
these options to allow paragraphs to split across pages or columns but require at least
two or more lines to remain together at the bottom or top of a page or column. You can
specify how many lines must remain together.

Font options for the paragraph style

Three tabs of the Paragraph Style dialog are dedicated to settings controlling the appearance of
the typeface: the Font, Font Effects, and Position tabs. The first two tabs are straightforward.
Many of the options are the same as those used when creating a character style, as discussed
on page 250. Options that can be used when creating a paragraph style are described here.

Tip
On the Font tab, in the lower right, is a Features button. The configurable features
available in the dialog that opens depend on the selected font and are not described
here. They may include, for example, discretionary ligatures and horizontal kerning.

Specifying a relative font size

You can specify a fixed font size (in points or other measurement units). In addition, if you are
creating a style based on another style (linked style), you can specify a font size relative to that
other style either as a percentage or as a plus or minus point value (–2pt or +5pt). Relative font
sizes are commonly used for Web pages.
For example, the Heading 1 paragraph style is based on the Heading style. If the font size of the
Heading style is 14pt, and the font size of the Heading 1 style is specified as 130%, the resultant
font size of text in a paragraph formatted with the Heading 1 style is 14pt times 130% = 18.2pt.
To specify a percentage font size: in the Paragraph Style dialog, select the Font tab. In the Size
box, enter the percentage amount followed by the symbol % (Figure 220). Similarly, you can
enter a plus or minus sign followed by the number of points to be added to or subtracted from the
base font size.
To change from a relative font size back to an absolute font size, enter the desired font size in a
specific measurement, such as points (pt).

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 211

 Figure 220: Selecting a type size based on a percentage

Selecting a language for a paragraph style

The language selected for a document (on Tools > Options > Language Settings >
Languages) determines the dictionary used for spelling, thesaurus, hyphenation, the decimal
and thousands delimiter used, and the default currency format. You can only use a language
whose dictionary is installed.
Within the document, you can apply a separate language to any paragraph style. This setting has
priority over the language of the whole document.
On the Font tab of the Paragraph Style dialog, languages with installed dictionaries are marked in
the Language list by a small icon (Figure 221). When checking spelling, Writer will use the
correct dictionary for paragraphs with this style.
If you write documents in multiple languages, you can use the linked styles to create two
paragraph styles that differ only in the language option. If you then want to change some of the
other properties of the paragraph style, all you need do is to change the parent style.
To insert occasional words in a different language and avoid their being picked by mistake with
the spelling checker, it is more convenient to use a character style, as discussed in “Creating a
new character style” on page 250.

Figure 221: Selecting a language for a paragraph style

212 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
The selection [None] for Language is useful when a paragraph includes text you
don’t want checked, like URLs and programming code.

Options for positioning text

The Position tab of the Paragraph Style dialog collects all the options that affect the position of
the text on the screen or printed page.

Figure 222: The Position tab of the Paragraph Style dialog

Use the Position section to control the appearance of superscripts and subscripts (characters
above or below the normal line of type, as in H2O or M2). However, you will normally apply
superscript and subscripts to groups of characters rather than to entire paragraphs. Therefore, it
is strongly recommended to change these parameters only when defining a character style and,
instead, leave the default settings for the paragraph styles.
The second section of the Position tab controls the rotation of the paragraph area. One common
use for rotated paragraphs is to fit headings above narrow table columns (Figure 223). Another
use is to create portrait headers and footers on landscape pages; see Chapter 6, Formatting
Pages: Advanced, for details.

Figure 223: A table with rotated headings

The Scale width box controls the percentage of the font width by which to compress or stretch
the rotated text horizontally; that is, from the first character to the last.

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 213

 Tip
Rotated table headings are usually more readable if they are angled, not vertical. To
produce angled text, you need to create a text object from the Drawing toolbar and
rotate it to any angle you wish. See Chapter 11, Images and Graphics.

Example: Rotating the text in a paragraph style

As an example, we will apply rotated table headings to a pre-existing table.
1) Create a new paragraph style. Name it Table Heading Rotated.
2) On the Position tab of the Paragraph Style dialog, in the Rotation / scaling section, select
90 degrees. Click OK to save the new style.
3) Select the heading row of the table and apply the new style. Any text in the cells of the
heading row is now rotated.
4) If the headings are aligned to the top of the cells, you may want to change the alignment
to the bottom of the cells, as shown in Figure 223. To do this, click the Bottom icon on the
Table toolbar or select Format > Alignment > Bottom on the Menu bar.

Spacing options
Use the Spacing section of the Position tab to control the spacing between individual characters
in the paragraph. When selecting an option other than default in the drop-down menu, use the
edit box to enter the value in points by which you want to expand or condense the text.
The Pair kerning option (selected by default) increases or decreases the amount of space
between certain pairs of letters to improve the overall appearance of the text (Figure 224).
Kerning automatically adjusts the character spacing for specific letter combinations. Kerning is
only available for certain font types and, for printed documents, only works if your printer
supports it.

Figure 224: Kerning disabled (left) and enabled (right)

Controlling tab stops

Although borderless tables are generally considered a much better solution to space out material
across a page, in some situations tabs are sufficient to do what you need, with the added
advantages of being simpler to manage and quicker to apply.

Caution
If you need to use tabs, and you will be sending a document to other people, do not
use the default tab stops. If the recipients of the document have defined default tab
stops that are not the same as the ones you are using, the paragraph may look very
different on their machines. Instead, define the tab stops explicitly in the paragraph
or the paragraph style; then you can be sure that everyone will see the same layout.

To define tab stops in your paragraph style, use the Tabs page, shown in Figure 225. Here you
can choose the type of tab: Left, Right, Centered, or Decimal; the character to be used as a
decimal point; and the Fill Character—the characters that appear between the end of the text
before the tab and the beginning of the text after the tab.

214 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

You can also create a custom fill character by entering it in the corresponding box. A common
use of a fill character is adding dots between a heading and a page number in a table of contents
or an underscore character when creating a form to fill in.

Figure 225: Specifying tab stops for a paragraph style

To create a new tab stop, specify its position relative to the left margin, the type of tab, and the fill
character and click the New button. The new tab stop is then listed in the Position box on the left.
To modify the position of a tab stop, create a new one in the desired position and delete the old
one using the buttons on the right-hand side of the page.
It is not possible to define tabs that exceed the page margin. In the rare cases where that may be
needed, use a borderless table instead.

Outline & List tab

Use the Outline & List tab to assign an outline level to any paragraph style, as described in
Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles. This feature enables you to create a table of contents that
includes those paragraphs along with the headings using styles listed in Tools > Chapter
Numbering.
You can also use this tab to associate a paragraph style with a list style. Refer to Chapter 12,
Lists, for additional information and an example.

Setting up a drop cap

Drop caps (one or more characters in a larger font at the beginning of a paragraph) are generally
suitable only for a first paragraph style. You can predefine the properties in the Drop Caps tab of
the Paragraph Style dialog. Select the Display drop caps option to enable the other choices: the
number of lines occupied, the number of characters to enlarge (if you want the whole first word,
check the corresponding box), and the space between the drop caps and the text.
Drop caps use the same font and have the same properties as the rest of the paragraph;
however, you can easily modify their appearance by creating a specific character style and using
it. For example, you may want the drop caps to be of a different color or apply an outline effect.
Select the character style you want to use in the corresponding drop-down menu.

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 215

 Figure 226: Options for adding a drop cap to the paragraph style

Background (area), highlighting, and transparency

Adding a background color, gradient, pattern, hatching, or image to a paragraph is an alternative
to using a frame. You can customize the background using the Area tab of the Paragraph Style
dialog. The choices are described in Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced.

Figure 227: Types of fill for paragraph backgrounds

You may want to consider the following points when working with the Area tab:
• If you do not find the desired color in the list of predefined ones, you can define your own
as described in Chapter 20, Customizing Writer.
• You can select different backgrounds for the paragraph area and for the text in the
paragraph. Use the Highlighting tab for the text. Figure 228 shows the difference.
• The area treatment is applied only to the paragraph area. If you have defined an indented
paragraph, the space between the paragraph and the margin does not have the
paragraph’s background color.

Figure 228: Different Area and Highlighting colors

On the Transparency tab, you can choose the transparency options for the selected background.
Values range from 0% (fully opaque) to +100% (fully transparent).

216 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Borders
Borders are often used to set off paragraphs from the text without using a frame, or to separate
header and footer areas from the main text area (such as in this guide), and to provide decorative
elements in some heading styles. Consider the following points:
• Watch out for the effects that the spacing between borders and paragraph area produces
on indentations and tabulations.
• If you want the border to be drawn around multiple paragraphs, leave the Merge with
next paragraph option at the bottom of the page selected.
• Often, white space can have the same effect.
See Chapter 4, Formatting Text, for more about the Borders tab.

Using conditional paragraph styles

Making a paragraph style conditional means it changes its formatting depending on where it is
used. For example, you may want the style MyTextBody to be black by default but turn white
when inside a frame with a blue background.
Probably the most common use for conditional formatting is with single-style outlining. Single-
style outlining is a type of outline numbering designed with a Numbering List Style. Instead of
using different styles for the various outline levels, it changes the number formatting when you
press the Tab key to create a subordinate heading.
The only trouble with single-style outlining is that all levels look the same. This is where a
conditional paragraph style comes in handy. Assign the paragraph style to an outline style in the
Outline & List tab and then open the Condition tab. There, you can assign the levels of the outline
style to other paragraph styles. Then, when you press the Tab key while using the paragraph
style, each level of the outline takes on different formatting, making single-style outlining even
more convenient than it is on its own.
When you create a conditional style, you are saying “in this condition make this style look like
that other style”. For example, “When typing into a footer, make this style look like the my_footer
paragraph style; when typing into a table, make this style look like the table_text paragraph
style”.
In addition to setting the normal (unconditional) properties of the style, you need to define which
other style it will look like in different situations. To do this, use the Condition tab.

Note
Predefined styles (other than Text body) such as Default, Heading 1, and Heading 2
cannot be set to be conditional.

Caution
If you want to create a new style and make it conditional, you have to do it while the
Paragraph Style dialog is still open for the first time. After the dialog closes, the
Condition tab no longer appears in the dialog when it is reopened.

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 217

 Figure 229: Condition tab for paragraph styles
To set up a conditional paragraph style:
1) Define a new paragraph style.
2) Select all the paragraph properties for the style. Do not click OK!
3) Click the Condition tab.
4) Select the first condition in the Context list (left side of the dialog) and select the style you
want for this condition in the Paragraph Styles list on the right-hand side.
5) Click Apply. The name of the paragraph style appears in the middle list.
6) Repeat steps 4) and 5) for each condition you want to have linked to a different style.
7) Click OK.
When the style is selected, you will see that the formatting of your text depends on the context.

Working with character styles

Character styles over-ride the formatting in a paragraph style. They are applied to groups of
characters, such as words or phrases, rather than whole paragraphs. They are mainly used when
you want to change the appearance or attributes of parts of a paragraph without affecting other
parts. Examples of effects that can be obtained by means of character styles are bold or italic
typeface or colored words.
Other ways of using character styles are described elsewhere in this book. These uses include
making chapter numbers, page numbers, or list numbers larger than the surrounding text and
formatting hyperlinks. When you do not want some words (for example, names, or words in a
different language) to be detected as spelling mistakes, you can define the language (if any) to
be applied in the character style’s properties.

218 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Creating a new character style
The tabs of the Character Styles dialog are similar to those for paragraph styles:
• Use the Organizer tab to name the new character style and set up its hierarchical level (if
needed).
• Use the Font tab to choose the font, style, and size for the new character style. You can
specify the font size as a percentage or a point increase or decease in the size of the font
in the paragraph where the character style is applied. You can also specify the language
of the text to which the character style is applied, so you can insert words in a different
language and have their spelling checked using the correct dictionary.
• Use the Font Effects tab to set up attributes such as font color, underlining, relief, or other
effects. If you frequently use hidden text, for example, it may be convenient to define a
character style where the Hidden option is marked. Relief effects may be appropriate for
a drop cap or to give more emphasis to the chapter number or other parts of the title.
• Use the Highlighting tab to apply a colored background to the text. This yields the same
effect as using the Highlight Color tool on the Standard toolbar.
• Use the Borders tab to apply a border and a shadow to the text, if so desired.
• Use the Position tab to create a subscript or superscript in case you are not satisfied with
the default ones or even a sub-subscript which may be useful for certain scientific
publications. In the same tab, you can create rotated, condensed, or expanded text.

Note
When rotating a group of characters, you also need to specify whether the rotated
text should fit in the line or if, instead, it is allowed to expand above and below the
line. This property is active only for character styles.

Working with frame styles

Frames are often used as containers for text or graphics. To provide consistency in the
appearance of frames used for similar purposes, it is a good idea to define styles for frames. For
example, you might want photographs to be enclosed in a frame with a drop-shadowed border,
line drawings in a frame with a plain border, marginal notes in a frame without a border but with a
shaded background, and so on.
Writer provides several predefined frame styles (see Table 7), which you can modify as needed,
and you can define new frame styles. The technique for defining and applying frame styles is
similar to that for other styles.

Tip
There is considerable overlap between the uses of frames and sections for some
page layout purposes. You may find Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced, useful
for information about the use of frames and sections.

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 219

Table 7: Predefined frame styles and their uses
Style Comments and Use
Formula The frame style used for formulas. The default includes AutoSize, which
adjusts the size of the frame to the formula.
Frame The default frame style.
Graphics The default frame style for graphics. The defaults include AutoSize to fit
the graphic, no text wrap, and a thin border around the frame.
Labels The default frame style for use with File > New > Labels. It seems to be
used by LibreOffice automatically and is not intended for users.
Marginalia A frame style for placing a frame beside the left margin. This style is
intended for comments added in the margin of text. The style also is
useful for creating sideheads—headings against the left margin, which
often are used in technical documentation. An example is given in
Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles.
OLE The default frame style for OLE objects and floating frames. The default
places the frame at the top and center of a body of text.
Watermark The default frame style for a watermark, a graphic placed as the
background to a body of text. The default is a Through wrap, with text
passing over the frame and anything in it. The graphic should be faint
enough that text still is readable over top of it.

How frame styles work

When an object is added to Writer, it is automatically enclosed in a frame of a predetermined
type. The frame sets how the object is placed on the page, as well as how it interacts with other
elements in the document. You can edit the frame by modifying the frame style it uses or by using
a manual override when a frame is added to the document.
Because frames and objects are used together, it is sometimes easy to forget they are separate
elements. In some cases, such as charts, you can edit the frame and object separately.
Unlike other elements that use styles, frames can be defined only partly by their style because
their use can vary so much. Several elements of frames, such as the anchor and protected
elements, need to be defined manually for individual frames.
To format a frame manually, select Insert > Frame on the Menu bar. The dialog that opens
contains all the settings available when frame styles are set up, as well as some that are only
available when the frame is inserted.

Planning the styles

If you are using a mix of graphics, you may want to define two related styles, one with a border
for graphics with white backgrounds and one without a border for all other backgrounds. You also
may want to design one or more frames for text only.
Otherwise, the default frame styles (listed in Table 7) cover most users’ needs. The only
significant addition that you might need is one or more styles for text frames.

Creating new frame styles

You can access frame settings by selecting New or Modify in the Styles deck for a frame style.
• Type tab: sets the size and position of the frame. One of the most useful options here is
AutoSize, which automatically adjusts the frame to the object it contains. If the frame
style is used automatically, then this option should be selected.

220 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 • Options tab: sets whether the contents of the frame are printed and able to be edited in a
read-only document. This tab also sets the text direction, which is useful if you are using
the frame for contents in a language that uses right-to-left text direction.
• Wrap tab: sets how text is positioned in relation to the frame and how close text comes to
a frame. If you want the frame contents to stand out from the paragraphs around it, set
the wrap to Wrap Off. This probably is the single most important tab for frames.
• Area tab: sets the background color, bitmap, hatching, gradient, or pattern. This tab is
useful mostly for text frames in complex page layouts, in which a text frame has an
appearance different from the general background of the page.
• Transparency tab: sets the transparency options for the selected background. Values can
range from 0% (fully opaque) to +100% (fully transparent).
• Borders tab: sets the attribute for a line around the frame, if any.
• Columns tab: this tab can be ignored unless the frame is being used for text. The options
are the same as those used to set up a page style, as described in Chapter 6, Formatting
Pages: Advanced.
• Macro tab: sets a macro to use with the frame in order to trigger an action when the user
interacts with the frame. These options are useful for on-line Writer or HTML documents.

Working with page styles

Page styles control page properties (margins, page size, header and footer, among others).
However, unlike paragraphs, characters, and frames, pages can not have directly applied
properties. If you change the properties of a page, you are actually changing the underlying page
style, so those changes are applied to all pages that use that page style. To change the
properties of individual pages, you need to create a new page style.

Creating a new page style

To create a new page style, open the Styles deck and click the Page Styles icon. Right-click
anywhere in the window and select New. The Page Style dialog contains nine tabs.

Organizer tab
The Organizer tab is described on page 236.

General settings for the page style

The Page tab of the Page Style dialog is where you can control the general settings of the page.
The tab consists of three sections, plus a preview area in the top right.
In the Paper Format section, you can specify the size of the paper, choosing from one of the
many predefined formats, or select User to define your own paper size using the Width and
Height fields. Select the orientation of the paper: Portrait or Landscape. If your printer has more
than one tray, you can specify the tray from which to print pages in the new page style.
In the Margins section, specify the size of the margins in your preferred unit of measurement. If
you select Mirrored for Page layout in the Layout settings section, then the names of the margins
change from Left and Right to Inner and Outer.
The Gutter margin is the extra space to leave between the left (or inner) edge of the page and
the left (or inner) margin, to allow for binding of a book. (Alternatively, you can leave the Gutter
set to zero and add the gutter margin amount to the left or inner margin value.) See also the
Gutter position setting, which can be Left (the default) or Top.

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 221

 Figure 230: Page tab of Page Style dialog

In the Layout Settings section, choose the desired Page layout in the drop-down list. Decide
whether the page style being defined applies to both left and right pages (default), mirrored
pages, or right or left pages only. Some considerations:
• If you plan to bind the printed pages using this style like a book, select a mirrored layout.
• A common practice in page layouts is to have asymmetrical page margins—both for left
and right margins and for top and bottom margins. The most common scheme follows
these two general rules for printed page layouts: (a) The outer margin (right margin on a
right-hand page) would be wider than the inner margin (left margin on a right-hand page);
(b) The bottom margin would be larger than the top margin.
• If you want the first page of a new chapter to always start on a right page, make sure that
the page style for the first chapter page is set for the right page only in the Layout
settings field. The typical procedure for the rest of a chapter is to define a single
“mirrored” page style (perhaps, Default Page Style) for both left and right pages. A
mirrored page can have different headers and footers. If done this way, every chapter will
use two page styles.
• You can choose to define separate page styles for left and right pages, if you want the
pages to be very different in appearance (for example, different margins or columns;
imagine a book with a full-page photograph on the left pages and two columns of text on
the right pages). In that case, make sure that the Next Style field for the first page style is
set for a left-only page, which, in turn, is set to be followed by a right-only page style. If
done this way, every chapter will use three page styles. A hypothetical case might have
these page style names: First Page, Left Page, and Right Page.
Use the Page numbers drop-down list to specify the page numbering style to apply to this page
style.
The Use page line-spacing option works with the Activate page line-spacing option for
paragraphs and paragraph styles (see page 240). See the Help and Chapter 6, Formatting
Pages: Advanced, for more information on the use of these options.
By default, page backgrounds (colors, images, and so on) fill the entire page, including the area
in the margins. If you want the background to fill only the text area, but not the margin area, then
deselect the Background covers margins option in the lower right of the dialog.

222 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Area and Border tabs
The Area and Border tabs are described in detail in Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced. Use
the Area tab to apply a background (covers the entire page, including the margins) or the Border
tab to draw a border around the text area of the page (inside the margins). You can also add a
shadow to the text area.

Header and Footer tabs

You can associate a different header or footer with each page style. This property makes it easy
to have different headers on left and right pages, to avoid headers on pages at the start of a new
chapter, and so on. You can also have a different header or footer on the same page style where
it is used for the first page of a document.
If you choose a Mirrored or Right and Left page layout on the Page tab, you can specify a
different header for left or right pages even if you use a single style for both. This option is not
available on the predefined Left Page and Right Page page styles or on any other page style
defined to be a left or right page only.
The Header and Footer tabs are described in detail in Chapter 5, Formatting Pages: Basics.

Figure 231: Different content on left and right pages

Columns tab
Use the Columns tab to create the column layout for the page style. It has three sections:
Settings, Width and Spacing, and Separator Line. Choose the desired number of columns. If you
select more than one column, the Width and Spacing section and the Separator LIne section
become active. You can use the predefined settings (equally spaced columns) or deselect the
AutoWidth option and enter the parameters manually. When you work with multiple columns per
page, you can also fine tune the position and size of a separator line between the columns.

Footnote tab
Use the Footnote tab to adjust the appearance of the footnotes. See Chapter 5, Formatting
Pages: Basics, for details.

Working with list styles

List styles work together with paragraph styles. They define indentation, alignment, and the
numbering or bullet characters used for list items. You can define many list styles, from simple
bulleted lists to complex multi-level (nested) lists.
As with other styles, the main reasons for using list styles are consistency and speeding up your
work. Although you can create simple lists quickly by clicking the Toggle Ordered List or Toggle
Unordered List icons on the Formatting toolbar, and create quite complex nested lists using the
icons on the Bullets and Numbering toolbar, the appearance of the resulting lists may not be what
you want, and you might want to have more than one style of list.
You can use the Bullets and Numbering choice on the Format menu to manually format the
appearance of some or all of the lists, but if you later need to change their appearance, you will
have a lot of manual work to do.
See Chapter 12, Lists, for details on how list styles and paragraph styles work together.

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 223

Creating a new list style
The dialog to create a new list style includes six tabs in addition to the usual Organizer tab
discussed on page 236.

Unordered, Ordered, and Image tabs

The Unordered, Ordered, and Image tabs contain predefined formatting for list item symbols
(bullets or numbers). To use one of them for your style, click the image. A thick border indicates
the selection. The bullets on the Bullets tab are font characters; those on the Image tab are
graphics.

Outline tab
Use the Outline tab to select from eight predefined nested lists. You can also select one and use
it as a starting point for your own style, customizing the list using the Position tab and the
Customize tab, as described below.

Position tab
Use the Position tab (Figure 232) to fine tune the indentation and spacing of the list item symbol
and the text of the list item. This tab is particularly effective when used in combination with the
Customize tab.

Figure 232: Position settings for a List style

You can adjust the following settings for each individual level or all levels at once (to make them
all the same).
• Aligned at: the position of the numbering symbol, measured from the left margin of the
page.
• Numbering alignment: Select Left to align the numbering symbol to start directly at the
Aligned at position. Select Right to align the symbol to end directly before the Aligned at
position. Select Centered to center the symbol around the Aligned at position. This option
does not set the alignment of the paragraph, only the numbering symbol.

224 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 • Numbering followed by: the character to follow the numbering symbol (plus any
characters—for example a punctuation mark—chosen on the Customize tab to appear
after the number). Choose between a tab stop, a space, or nothing.
• Tab stop at: If you selected the tab stop above, you can specify the position of the tab.
• Indent at: Specify the distance from the left page margin to the start of all lines in the
numbered or bullet paragraph that follow the first line.

Tip
To fully appreciate how the Numbering alignment and other parameters work, try to
create a numbered list with more than ten elements and make sure that enough
room has been made for numbers with two or more digits. You may also wish to
right-align numbers 10 or greater.

Customize tab
Use the Customize tab (Figure 233) to define the style of the outline levels. The options available
on this tab depend on the type of marker selected for the list. First, on the left side, select the
level you want to modify. To modify all ten levels at once, select 1 – 10 as the level. If you started
from a predefined outline, some of the levels will already have settings.

Figure 233: The Customize tab for a list style

Depending on the numbering style selected in the Number box (bullet, graphic, numbering),
some of the following options become available on the tab (not all are shown in the illustration):
• Start at: the first value of the list (for example, to start the list at 4 instead of 1).
• Character Style: the style to be used for the number or bullet.
• Show sublevels: The number of previous levels to include in the numbering style. For
example, if you enter "2" and the previous level uses the "A, B, C..." numbering style, the
numbering scheme for the current level becomes: "A.1".
• Separator – Before: any text to appear before the number (for example, Step).
• Separator – After: any text to appear after the number (for example, a punctuation
mark).
• Character Select button: click to select the character for the bullet.

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 225

 • Graphics Select button: opens a list of available graphics (Gallery) or allows the
selection of a file to be used as the list marker.
• Width and Height: the dimensions of the graphic marker.
• Keep ratio option: fixes the ratio between the width and the height of the graphic marker.
• Alignment: the alignment of the graphic object.
The right-hand side of the dialog shows a preview of the modifications made.
If you choose the Linked graphics option in the Number list, the graphic object is linked rather
than embedded in the document. The bullet will not be displayed when the document is opened
on a different computer (unless the same graphic file is located in the same location on both
computers) or if the graphic file used is moved to a different location on the computer.
To revert to the default values, click the Reset button in the bottom right corner. Finally, if you
wish to use consecutive numbers regardless of the outline level, select the Consecutive
numbering box at the bottom of the tab.

Using the Style Inspector

The Style Inspector (Figure 234) is located on the Sidebar. It displays all the attributes of the
styles (paragraph and character) and any direct formatting present in the paragraph or word
where the cursor is located. These details can be useful when you are trying to figure out why
some formatting in a document appears to be incorrect or inconsistent.

Figure 234: Style Inspector example

Use the Style Inspector to uncover formatting issues in a text document.
• Style properties overwritten by direct formatting are grayed out in the Paragraph and
Character style tree, indicating that the style property is not effective any more.
• Paragraph style properties that are re-defined by a child paragraph style are grayed out.
• Character style properties that are re-defined by a child character style are grayed out.
• Paragraph style and direct properties that are re-defined by character styles or character
direct properties are grayed.
For example, if the margins of the paragraph are changed by direct formatting using the rulers,
the margins property of the paragraph style are grayed out and the margins properties are
displayed in the Paragraph Direct Formatting entry of the Style Inspector.

226 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Another example: if the Emphasis character style highlights a word with a yellow background,
and the user mistakenly overwrote it by using a white background, the yellow attribute is grayed
out and white is listed under Direct Formatting in the Style Inspector. The Style Inspector shows
only those attributes that diverge from the parent style.
Some features of the Style Inspector are of interest mainly to advanced users:
• The Style Inspector can show any hidden RDF (Resource Description Framework, a
W3C standard) metatdata at the cursor position associated with text spans, paragraphs,
and bookmarks. For annotated text spans, “Nested Text Content” item can show the
boundary of the nested annotated text ranges and metadata fields.
• Custom color metadata field shadings can be set for an annotated text range or a
metadata field, for visualization of metadata categories in the document editor. Use View
> Field Shadings or Ctrl+F8 to disable or enable these field shadings.
For more information, see the Release Notes for LibreOffice 7.1 and 7.2 Community:
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/7.1#Style_inspector
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/7.2#RDF_metadata_in_Style_Inspector
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/7.2#Custom_color_metadata_field_shadings

Chapter 9, Working with Styles | 227

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 10,
Working with Templates
Introduction
A template is a model document that you use to create other documents. For example, you can
create a template for business reports that has your company’s logo on the first page. New
documents created from this template will all have your company’s logo on the first page.
Templates can contain anything that regular documents can contain, such as text, graphics, a set
of styles, and user-specific setup information such as measurement units, language, the default
printer, and toolbar and menu customization.
All documents in LibreOffice are based on templates. You can create, or download and install, as
many templates as you wish, and you can set a default template for each type of document (text,
spreadsheet, drawing, presentation). If you do not choose a template when you start a new
Writer document, then the document is based on the default template for text documents. If you
have not specified a default template, Writer uses the built-in blank template for text documents
that is installed with LibreOffice. See “Setting a default template” on page 270.
In Writer, you can create templates for master documents as well as for ordinary documents. For
more about master documents, see Chapter 16.
This chapter describes the use of LibreOffice’s template management features. You can also use
templates in other ways, but the effects are a bit different. See “Other ways to manage
templates” on page 273 for more information.

Creating a document from a template

A new installation of LibreOffice may not include many templates, but you can create your own
(see “Creating a template” on page 265) or install templates obtained from other sources (see
“Adding templates obtained from other sources” on page 266).
To create a document from a template:
1) Open the Templates dialog (Figure 235) using one of these methods:
– Choose File > New > Templates or File > Templates > Manage Templates on the
Menu bar.
– Press the key combination Ctrl+Shift+N.
– Click the arrow next to the New icon on the Standard toolbar and select Templates.
– Select Templates > Manage Templates in the Start Center (visible in LibreOffice
when no document is open).
2) In the Filter lists at the top of the Templates dialog, you can select the type and category
of template you want to use. The relevant templates are listed on the dialog. Click on the
icons to the right of the Categories list to switch between Thumbnail view (Figure 235)
and List view (Figure 236).
3) Find and double-click the required template, or select the template and click Open. A new
document based on the selected template opens in Writer. You can then edit and save the
new document.
The template the document is based on is listed in File > Properties > General.

Tip
In the Start Center, you can click on the Templates button, or open the drop-down
menu and select a type of template, to view the available templates without opening
the Templates dialog. Click on the required template to create a new document.

Chapter 10, Working with Templates | 229

 Figure 235: Thumbnail view of Templates dialog, showing context menu for a selected
user-created template

Figure 236: List view of Templates dialog

Note
The connection between a template and a document remains until the template is
modified and you do not update the document to match the template.
If you copy or move the document to a different computer which does not have a
copy of that template installed, the connection is broken even though it continues to
be listed in the document’s properties. See “Changing the template assigned to a
document” on page 269 for a way to reconnect a template to a document.

230 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Creating a template
You can create templates in two ways: by saving a document as a template or by using a wizard.

Creating a template from a document

In addition to formatting, any settings that can be added to or modified in a document can be
saved within a template. For example, printer settings; general behaviors set from Tools >
Options, such as paths and colors; menu and toolbar customizations, described in Chapter 20,
Customizing Writer.
Templates can also contain predefined text, saving you from having to type it every time you
create a new document. For example, a letter template may contain your name, address, and
salutation.
To create a template from a document:
1) Open a new or existing text (Writer) document.
2) Add any content that you want to appear in any document you create from the new
template, for example company logo or a copyright statement.
3) Create or modify any styles that you want to use in the new template.
4) On the Menu bar, choose File > Templates > Save as Template. The Save as Template
dialog (Figure 237) opens, displaying the existing categories and a box for the name for
the new template.
5) Select a category, for example My Templates or Business Correspondence. You can also
set this template as a default template at this time. Click Save.

Figure 237: Save as Template dialog

Creating a template using a wizard

You can use wizards to create templates for letters, faxes, and agendas. To create a template
using a wizard:
1) On the Menu bar, choose File > Wizards > [type of template required] (Figure 238).
2) Follow the instructions on the pages of the wizard. This process is slightly different for
each type of template, but the format is similar.

Chapter 10, Working with Templates | 231

 Figure 238: Choosing a template wizard
3) In the last section of the wizard, you can specify the template name that will show in the
Templates dialog and the file name and location for saving the template. The two names
can be different but this may cause confusion. The default location is your user templates
folder but you can choose a different location.
4) To set the file name or change the folder, click the Path icon (the three dots to the right of
the location). On the Save As dialog, make your selections and click Save to return to the
wizard.
5) Finally, you can choose whether to create a new document from the template immediately
or manually change the template. Click Finish to save the template.

Adding templates obtained from other sources

LibreOffice refers to sources of templates as repositories. A repository can be local (a directory
on your computer to which you have downloaded templates) or remote (a URL from which you
can download templates).
To get to the official LibreOffice template repository, type https://extensions.libreoffice.org/ in your
web browser’s address bar or click the Get more extensions online... link in the Extension
Manager, described in Chapter 14, Customizing Writer. This opens the Extensions web page
(Figure 239). In the Search section, click the Templates tag filter. You can narrow your search by
also choosing other tag filters. such as Writer. After setting the filters, click the Search button. In
the search results, find the required template and click on its name to display a page with details;
click the Download button to put the template anywhere on your computer. Proceed to “Installing
templates” below.

Figure 239: Searching for templates in the repository

232 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

You can also choose Extensions in the submenu of the Manage button on the upper right of the
Templates dialog (Figure 240) to open an Extensions: Templates dialog, where you can scroll
through a list of extensions or filter the list by typing a search term in the box at the top of the
dialog (Figure 241).

Figure 240: Getting more templates for LibreOffice

Figure 241: Finding template extensions

On other websites, you may find collections of templates that have been packaged into extension
(.OXT) files.

Installing templates
You can install templates using either the Templates dialog or the Extension Manager.
To install templates using the Templates dialog:
1) Download the template or package and save it anywhere on your computer.

Chapter 10, Working with Templates | 233

 2) In the Templates dialog, click the Manage button on the upper right (Figure 240) and
select Import in the submenu.
3) On the Select Category dialog, select the category where you want to import the template
and click OK. A file browser window opens.
4) Find and select the template that you want to import and click Open. The file browser
window closes and the template is imported and appears in the selected category.
To install templates using the Extension Manager:
1) Download the template or package and save it anywhere on your computer.
2) In LibreOffice, select Tools > Extension Manager on the Menu bar. In the Extension
Manager dialog, click Add to open a file browser window.
3) Find and select the template or package of templates you want to install and click Open.
The package begins installing. You may be asked to accept a license agreement.
4) When the package installation is complete, restart LibreOffice. The templates are
available for use through the Templates dialog and the extension is listed in the Extension
Manager.
See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, for more about the Extension Manager.

Tip
You can manually copy new templates into the template folders. The location varies
with your computer’s operating system. To learn where the template folders are
stored on your computer, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Paths. You can
also add new template folders in other locations; for more information, see the
Getting Started Guide.

Editing a template
You cannot edit a template that was supplied with LibreOffice. You can only edit templates that
you created or imported.
You can edit a template’s styles and content and then, if you wish, reapply the template’s styles
to documents that were created from that template. You cannot reapply content.
To edit a template:
1) Open the Templates dialog, as described on page 263.
2) In the Templates dialog, find the template that you want to edit. Right-click on it to open
the context menu (Figure 235), then click Edit. The template opens in Writer.
3) Edit the template as you would edit any other document. To save your changes, choose
File > Save on the Menu bar.

Updating a document from a changed template

If you make any changes to a template and its styles, the next time you open a document that
was created from the template before the changes, a confirmation message is displayed.
To update the document:
1) Select Update Styles to apply the changed styles in the template to the document.
2) Select Keep Old Styles if you do not want to apply the changed styles in the template to
the document (but see the Caution notice below).

234 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Caution
If you choose Keep Old Styles, the document is no longer connected to the
template, even though the template is still listed under File > Properties > General.
To reconnect the document to the template, use the procedure described in
“Changing the template assigned to a document” below.

Changing the template assigned to a document

At times you might want to associate a document with a different template, or perhaps you’re
working with a document that did not start from a template or one that has become detached
from its template.
You can change the template assigned to a document, or reconnect a document to a template, in
two ways: manually or by using the Template Changer extension to LibreOffice.
• To change or reassign a template manually, first create a new, blank document from the
required template, as described in “Manually changing the template” below. Then copy
the contents of the old document into the new document.
• To use the Template Changer extension, first you need to download and install it, then
restart LibreOffice to activate it. After that, you can open the document and use File >
Templates > Change template (current document) on the Menu bar.

Note
Changing or updating a template affects only the formatting used in styles. It does
not affect any content. You may also need to manually update content, for example a
logo, copyright notice, or the layout of a copyright page.

Manually changing the template

For best results, the names of styles should be the same in the existing document and the new
template. If they are not, you may need to replace old styles with new ones. See Chapter 2,
Working with Text: Basics, for more about replacing styles.
To manually associate a document with a different template:
1) Open the Templates dialog as described on page 263.
2) In the Templates dialog, double-click the template you want to use. A new document
opens, containing any text or graphics that were in the template.
3) Delete any unwanted text or graphics from this new document. Use File > Save As to
save the new document, but leave it open.
4) Open the document you want to change. (It opens in a new window.)
3) Use Edit > Select All, or press Ctrl+A, to select everything in the old document.
4) Use Edit > Copy, or press Ctrl+C, to copy the contents of the old document to the
clipboard.
5) Click in the new document created in step 2. Use Edit > Paste, or press Ctrl+V, to paste
the contents of the old document into the new one.
6) Update the table of contents if there is one. Save the new document using File > Save.
7) Close the old file without saving.

Chapter 10, Working with Templates | 235

 Caution
Any changes recorded (tracked) in the old document will be lost during this process.
The resulting document will contain only the changed text.

Setting a default template

If you create a document by choosing File > New > Text Document on the Menu bar, or by
clicking the Text Document button in the Start Center, Writer creates the document from the
default template for text documents. You can, however, set a custom template to be the default.
You can reset the default later, if you choose.

Setting a template as the default

Many default settings, such as page size and margins, font choices, line spacing, and so on, can
be changed using styles, but those changes apply only to the document you are working on. To
make the changes the default settings for that document type, you need to replace the default
template supplied with LibreOffice with a new one that you create.
You can set any template in the Templates dialog to be the default for that document type:
1) Open the Templates dialog as described on page 263.
2) In the Templates dialog, open the category containing the template that you want to set as
the default, then select the template.
3) Right-click the selected template and select Set as Default from the context menu
(Figure 235). An icon marks the template as the default (Figure 242).
The next time that you create a document of that type by choosing File > New, the document will
be created from this template.

Figure 242: Default template icon

Resetting Writer’s default template as the default

To re-enable Writer’s original default template as the default:
1) Open the Templates dialog as described on page 263.
2) In the Templates dialog, click the Manage button on the upper right (Figure 243).

Figure 243: Resetting the default template for text documents

236 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 3) Click Reset Default Text Document in the drop-down menu. This choice does not
appear unless a custom template had been set as the default, as described in the
previous section.
You can also reset the default template as follows:
1) Go to the Templates dialog and open the category containing the template you set as
default. It is indicated by a green check mark.
2) Right-click on this template and select Reset Default in the context menu.
The next time that you create a document by choosing File > New (or equivalent), the document
will be created from the original default template for the document type.

Organizing templates
LibreOffice can manage only those templates that are in its template categories, although you
can create a document from a template that is not in one of these folders (see “Creating a
document from a template” on page 273). You can create new template categories and use them
to organize your templates. For example, you might have one category for report templates and
another for letter templates. You can also import and export templates.
To begin, choose File > Templates > Manage Templates to open the Templates dialog.

Creating a template category

To create a template category:
1) Click the Manage button on the upper right of the Templates dialog.
2) Click New category in the context menu (Figure 243).
3) In the pop-up dialog, type a name for the new category and click OK. The new category
now appears in the list of categories.

Deleting a template category

You cannot delete template categories supplied with LibreOffice. Nor can you delete categories
added by the Extension Manager unless you first remove the extension that installed them.
However, you can delete a category that you created:
1) Open the Templates dialog and select the category in the Filter list at the top.
2) Click the Manage button, and select Delete Category in the submenu (Figure 244).
When a message box appears asking you to confirm the deletion, click Yes.

Figure 244: Manage menu for a user-created template category

Chapter 10, Working with Templates | 237

Renaming a template category
You cannot rename template categories supplied with LibreOffice. You can only rename
categories that you created.
Open the Templates dialog, select the category in the Filter list at the top, then click the Manage
button and select Rename Category in the submenu. In the small dialog that opens, type a
name in the Enter New Name text box and click OK.

Moving a template
To move a template from one template category to another, select it in the Templates dialog,
right-click on it and select Move in the context menu (Figure 235). In the Select Category dialog
(Figure 245), select the destination category and click OK. The selected template is moved to the
selected category. You can also create a new category into which to move the template.

Figure 245: Moving a template to another category

Renaming a template
You cannot rename templates supplied with LibreOffice. You can only rename a template that
you have created or imported.
Open the Templates dialog, find and select the template you want to rename, then right-click the
template and select Rename in the context menu. In the small dialog that opens, type a name in
the Enter New Name text box and click OK.
This action changes the Title on the Description tab of the template’s document properties. It
does not change the file name of the template.

Deleting a template
You cannot delete templates supplied with LibreOffice. Nor can you delete any templates
installed by the Extension Manager except by removing the extension that installed them.
However, you can delete templates that you have created or imported:
1) (Optional) In the Filter drop-down lists at the top of the Templates dialog, select the
category that contains the template you want to delete.
2) Select the template to delete.
3) Right-click to open the context menu of the template and click Delete. A message box
appears and asks you to confirm the deletion. Click Yes.

238 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
You can also press the Delete key on the keyboard to delete the selected template
on the Templates dialog.

Exporting a template
To export a template to another location on your computer or network:
1) In the Templates dialog, select the template that you want to export.
2) Right-click on the template and choose Export in the submenu. A file browser window
opens.
3) Find the location where you want to export the template and select Select Folder or OK.
4) Click OK on the displayed information dialog.

Note
Exporting a template does not remove it from the Templates dialog. The action
places a copy of the template in the location you specify.

Other ways to manage templates

You can create and use templates stored anywhere on your computer, without using the
Templates dialog. However, some results are different from those described earlier in this
chapter.

Creating a document from a template

You can create a document from a template by double-clicking the template in your computer’s
file browser window.
The resulting document is not associated with (linked to) the template from which it was created.
The template is not listed in the document’s properties and any changes to the template cannot
be directly applied to the document. For many purposes, such as writing a letter, this may be
what you want.

Creating a template from a document

You can create a template from a document using File > Save As and selecting ODF Text
Document Template (.ott) as the file type, then saving it anywhere you want, for example in a
project folder.
The resulting template will not be visible in the Templates dialog, unless you import it or add the
project folder to the locations shown for templates on the LibreOffice – Paths page of the Tools >
Options dialog (see “Paths” in Chapter 2, Setting up LibreOffice, in the Getting Started Guide).

Chapter 10, Working with Templates | 239

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 11,
Images and Graphics
Images, Drawing Tools, Gallery, Fontwork
Introduction
You can add graphic and image files, including photos, drawings, and scanned images, to Writer
documents. Writer can import various vector (line drawing) and raster (bitmap) file formats.
Images in Writer are of these basic types:
• Image files, such as photos, drawings, and scanned images
• Diagrams created using LibreOffice’s drawing tools
• Artwork created using clip art or Fontwork
• Charts created using LibreOffice’s Calc component
This chapter covers images, diagrams, and artwork. Instructions on how to create charts are
given in Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, other Objects. For more detailed descriptions on
working with drawing tools, see the Draw Guide. For more about charts, see the Calc Guide.

Creating and editing images

You might create images using a graphics program, scan them, or download them from the
Internet (make sure you have permission to use them), or use photos taken with a digital camera.
Writer can import various vector (line drawing) images, and can rotate and flip such images.
Writer also supports raster (bitmap) file formats, the most common of which are GIF, JPG, PNG,
and BMP. See the Help for a full list.
Writer can also import SmartArt images from Microsoft Office files. For example, Writer can open
a Microsoft Word file that contains SmartArt, and you can use Writer to edit the images.
To edit photos and other bitmap images, use a bitmap editor. To edit line drawings, use a vector
drawing program. You do not need to buy expensive programs. For many graphics, LibreOffice
Draw is sufficient. Open-source (and usually no-cost) tools such as GIMP (bitmap editor) and
Inkscape (vector drawing program) are excellent. These and many other programs work on
Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Some things to consider when choosing or creating images include image quality and whether
the image will be printed in color or black-and-white (grayscale).
For best results:
• Create images that have the exact dimensions required for the document, or use an
appropriate graphics package to scale photographs and large drawings to the required
dimensions. Do not scale images with Writer, even though Writer has tools for doing this,
because the results might not be as clear as you would like.
• Do any other required image manipulation (brightness and contrast, color balance,
cropping, conversion to grayscale, and so on) in a graphics package, not in Writer, even
though Writer has the tools to do a lot of these things, too.
• If the document is meant for screen use only, there is no need to use high resolution
images of 300 or more dpi (dots per inch). Most computer monitors work at between 72
and 96 dpi; reducing the resolution (and the file size) has no negative impact on what is
displayed.

Preparing images for black-and-white printing

If color images are to be printed in grayscale, check that any adjacent colors have good contrast
and print dark enough. Test by printing on a black-and-white printer using a grayscale setting.
Better still: change the “mode” of the image to grayscale, either in a photo editor or in Writer itself
(see “Image mode” on page 293).

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 241

For example, the following diagram looks good in color. The circle is dark red and the square is
dark blue. In grayscale, the difference between the two is not so clear. A third element in the
diagram is a yellow arrow, which is almost invisible in grayscale.

Original drawing in color Drawing printed in grayscale

Changing the colors of the circle and the arrow improves the contrast and visibility of the resulting
grayscale image.

Original drawing in color Drawing printed in grayscale

If the document will be available in black-and-white print only, a better result can often be
obtained by choosing grayscale fills, not color fills.

Adding images to a document

Images can be added to a document in several ways: by inserting an image file stored on your
computer, directly from a graphics program or a scanner, by dragging them from the clip art
internal gallery, or by copying and pasting from a source being viewed on your computer.

Inserting an image file

When the image is in a file stored on the computer, you can insert it into a LibreOffice document
using any of the following methods.

Drag and drop

This method embeds (saves a copy of) the image file in the Writer document. To link the file
instead of embedding it, hold down the Ctrl+Shift keys while dragging the image.
1) Open a file browser window and locate the image you want to insert.
2) Drag the image into the Writer document and drop it where you want it to appear. A faint
vertical line marks where the image will be dropped.

Insert Image dialog

1) Click in the Writer document where you want the image to appear.
2) Choose Insert > Image on the Menu bar or click the Insert Image icon on the Standard
toolbar.
3) On the Insert Image dialog, navigate to the file to be inserted, and select it.
4) At the bottom of the dialog (Figure 246) is a Link option; see “Linking an image file” on
page 281. Select Preview to show a thumbnail of the selected image on the right, as in
the example. Click Open.

242 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Figure 246: Insert Image dialog

Note
If you choose the Link option, a message box appears when you click Open. It asks
if you want to embed the image instead. Choose Keep Link if you want the link, or
Embed Graphic if you do not. To prevent this message from appearing again,
deselect the option Ask when linking a graphic at the bottom of the message.

Copy and paste

Using the clipboard, you can copy images into a LibreOffice document from another LibreOffice
document and from other programs. To do this:
1) Open both the source document or program and the target Writer document.
2) In the source document, select the image to be copied.
3) Copy the image to the clipboard.
4) Switch to the target document.
5) Click to place the cursor where the image is to be inserted.
6) Press Ctrl+V (or right-click and select Paste in the context menu, or click the Paste icon
on the Standard toolbar) to insert the image.

Caution
If the application from which the image was copied is closed before the image is
pasted into the target, the image stored on the clipboard could be lost.

Linking an image file

If the Link option in the Insert Image dialog is selected, Writer creates a link to the file containing
the image instead of saving a copy of the image in the document. The result is that the image is
displayed in the document, but when the document is saved, it contains only a reference to the
image file, not the image itself. The document and the image remain as two separate files, and
they are merged together only when you open the document again.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 243

Linking an image has two advantages and one disadvantage:
• Advantage – You can modify the image file separately, and the modified image will
appear when you next open the document. This can be a big advantage if you (or
someone else, perhaps a graphic artist) are updating images.
• Advantage – Linking can reduce the size of the document when it is saved, because the
image file itself is not included. However, file size is usually not a problem on a modern
computer, and LibreOffice can handle quite large files.
• Disadvantage – If you send the document to someone else, or move it to a different
computer, you must also include the image files, or the recipient will not be able to see
the linked images. You need to keep track of the location of the images and make sure
the recipient knows where to put them, so the document can find them. For example, you
might keep images in a subfolder named Images (under the folder containing the
document); the recipient of the file needs to put the images in a subfolder with the same
name and in the same place relative to the document.

Note
When inserting the same image several times in a document, LibreOffice embeds
only one copy of the image file.

Embedding linked images

If you originally linked the images, you can easily embed one or more of them later if you wish.
1) Open the document in Writer and choose Edit > External Links on the Menu bar.
2) The Edit Links dialog (Figure 247) shows all the linked files. In the Source file list, select
the files you want to change from linked to embedded.
3) Click the Break Link button and then click Yes to confirm embedding the image.

Figure 247: The Edit Links dialog

244 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Linking an embedded image
To change an image from embedded to linked, follow this procedure:
1) Be sure you have the image as a separate file. If necessary, export (save) the embedded
image as a file. See “Exporting (saving) images” on page 298.
2) In the Writer document, select the embedded image. Right-click and choose Properties
in the context menu.
3) In the Image dialog, go to the Rotation tab (Figure 248). The Link File name field is empty
for an embedded image.
4) Click the Browse button to the right of the Link File name field. A file browser opens. Find
and select the file to be linked, and then click Open. The path to the selected file now
appears in the File name field.
5) Click OK in the Image dialog. The embedded file is now replaced by a linked file.

Figure 248: Rotation tab of Image dialog, showing Link file name

Inserting an image using a scanner

If a scanner is connected to your computer, Writer can call the scanning application and insert
the scanned item into your document as an image. To start this procedure, choose Insert >
Media > Scan > Select Source on the Menu bar. Select the scan source from the list of
available devices, then click in the document where you want the image to be inserted and
choose Insert > Media > Scan > Request to open the imaging software where you can adjust
settings for image quality, size, and other attributes.
Although this practice is quick and easy, it is unlikely to result in a high-quality image of the
correct size. You may get better results by scanning material into a graphics program and
cleaning it up there before inserting the resulting image into Writer.

Inserting an image from the Gallery

The Gallery (Figure 249) provides a convenient way to group reusable objects such as graphics
and sounds that you can insert into your documents. The Gallery is available in LibreOffice
Writer, Calc, Impress, and Draw. You can copy or link an object from the Gallery into a document.
For more about the Gallery, see the Getting Started Guide.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 245

 Figure 249: The Gallery in the Sidebar
To insert an object from the Gallery into a document:
1) Click the Gallery icon on the Sidebar.
2) Select a theme in the list provided.
3) Select an object with a single click.
4) Drag and drop the image into the document, or right-click the object and choose Insert in
the context menu.
5) Adjust the size of the image and position and anchor it as needed; see page 284.

Positioning images within the text

When you add an image to a text document, you need to choose how to position it with respect
to the text and other images. Positioning is controlled by four settings:
• Arrangement refers to the placement of an image on an imaginary vertical axis.
Arrangement controls how images are stacked upon each other or relative to the text.
• Alignment refers to the vertical or horizontal placement of an image in relation to the
chosen anchor point.
• Anchoring refers to the reference point for the images. This point could be the page or
frame where the object is, a paragraph, or even a character. An image always has an
anchor point.
• Text wrapping refers to the relation of images to the surrounding text, which may wrap
around the image on one or both sides, be overprinted behind or in front of the image, or
treat the image as a separate paragraph or character.

246 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The settings can be accessed in several ways, depending on the nature of the graphic:
• In the Format menu: Anchor, Wrap, and Arrange (for images and drawing objects).
• In the context menu displayed when you right-click the image; this menu also includes an
Align submenu.
• For images, on the Position and Size and Wrap tabs of the Image dialog. You cannot
control the arrangement or alignment using the dialog.
• For drawing objects, on the Position and Size tab of the Position and Size dialog. To open
the dialog, right-click the drawing object and choose Position and Size in the context
menu.
• For an embedded object (such as a Calc spreadsheet or Draw document), on the OLE-
Object toolbar.

Note
While all the positioning techniques discussed in this section apply equally to frames,
contour wrapping is not possible for frames.

Arranging images
Arranging an image means to determine its position relative to other images or text. Arranging is
only relevant when objects are overlapping. You can choose between four common settings, plus
a fifth special setting for drawing objects:
Bring to Front
Places the image on top of any other images or text.
Forward One
Brings the image one level up in the stack. Depending on the number of overlapping
objects, you may need to apply this option several times to obtain the desired result.
Back One
Sends the image one level down in the object stack.
Send to Back
Sends the image to the bottom of the stack.
To Background / To Foreground
Only available for drawing objects; moves the drawing object behind or in front of the text
respectively.

Tip
To select an object that is covered by other objects, press the Tab key to move
through the objects until you reach the object you want.

Anchoring images
You can anchor images as a character or to a page, paragraph, or character. You can also place
images in a frame and anchor the frame to a page, paragraph, or character. Which method you
choose depends on what you are trying to achieve.
To Page (available only on Image dialog, not the toolbar or context menu)
The image keeps the same position in relation to the page margins. It does not move as
you add or delete text or other images. This method is useful when producing newsletters
or other documents that are very layout intensive, or for placing logos in letterheads. This
anchor type is deprecated; you are advised to use one of the other anchor types.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 247

 To Paragraph
The image is associated with a paragraph and moves with the paragraph. It may be
placed in the margin or another location. This method is useful as an alternative to a table
for placing icons beside paragraphs.
To Character
The image is associated with a character but is not in the text sequence. It moves with the
paragraph but may be placed in the margin or another location. This method is similar to
anchoring to a paragraph.
As Character
The image is placed in the document like any other character and, therefore, affects the
height of the text line and the line break. The image moves with the text as you add or
delete text before the image. This method is useful for keeping screenshots in sequence
in a procedure (by anchoring them as a character in a blank paragraph) or for adding a
small (inline) icon in sequence in a sentence.
To Frame
If the image has been placed in a frame, you can anchor the image in a fixed position
inside the frame. The frame can then be anchored to page, to paragraph, to character, or
as character.

Tip
You can set a default anchor for images in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer >
Formatting Aids (Figure 250).

Figure 250: Choices for setting a default image anchor

Aligning images
After you have established the anchor point of an image, you can decide the position of the
image relative to its anchor: this is called aligning the image. Choose from six options: three for
aligning the image horizontally (left, center, right) and three for aligning the image vertically (top,
middle, bottom). Horizontal alignment is not available for images anchored As Character.
For finer control of the alignment, use the Position options on the Position and Size page of the
Image dialog, shown in Figure 251.
For both the horizontal and vertical position, start by picking the reference point in the right hand
side drop-down menu, then select in the first drop-down menu among Left, Right, or Center for
Horizontal or Top, Bottom, Center for vertical. If you select From left or From top, you can
specify the distance. In the example in Figure 251, the image was anchored To Page; the upper-
left corner of the image will be placed at 5 cm from the left edge of the page text area and 10 cm
from the top edge of the entire page.

248 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 251: Fine tuning the alignment

Wrapping text around images

The Wrap setting determines the relation between the text and the image. It is normally selected
after anchoring and alignment of the image. Several choices are available in the context menu,
depending on the anchoring selection, and additional choices (including spacing from text on one
or more sides of the image) are on the Wrap tab of the Image dialog (Figure 252).
None
Places the object on a separate line in the document. The text is placed above and below
the image but not to either side of it.
Parallel
Wraps text on all four sides of the border frame of the object.
Optimal
The text flows around the image. Moving the image around the page causes the text to be
rearranged to fill the space to the left and right of it. Optimal prevents text from being
placed to the side of the image if the spacing between the image and the margin is less
than 2 cm.
Before
Wraps text on the left side of the object if there is enough space.
After
Wraps text on the right side of the object if there is enough space.
Through
Superimposes the image on the text. That is, the image is in front of the text. This option
should be used with an image-transparency setting in order to make the text under the
image visible.
In Background
Similar to Through, but the image is placed behind the text so there may be no need to
change the transparency to make the text visible. Best used only for images without a lot
of contrast or different colors.
Contour
Wraps text around the shape of the object.
Edit Contour
Opens the Contour Editor; see “Editing the contour” on page 288.
First paragraph
Starts a new paragraph after the image even if the text could still wrap around the image.

Note
When anchoring an image as character, you can adjust the distance between the
image and the text, but no wrapping option is available.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 249

On the Wrap tab of the Image dialog (Figure 252), you can use the Spacing section to adjust the
spacing between the image and the text.

Figure 252: Options on the Wrap tab of the Image dialog

Editing the contour

If you select Contour on the Wrap tab for an image (not available when Through or Wrap Off is
selected), or if you right-click on the image and select Wrap > Contour from the context menu,
LibreOffice automatically creates a contour. To edit the contour, right-click the image and select
Wrap > Edit Contour in the context menu, or select the image and choose Format > Wrap >
Edit Contour on the Menu bar.
The Contour Editor (Figure 253) opens. Use the tools provided to draw the region of the image
you do not want to be covered by the text; this area will be shaded.

Figure 253: The Contour Editor

The tools available in the Contour Editor include Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, and AutoContour.
Some familiarity with drawing tools is required to create complex contours; however, in most
circumstances there is no need for high accuracy. You can also select the Edit Points button and
adjust the contour shape point by point. See the Draw Guide for details.

250 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

When you are done, click the Apply button to save the contour.
Figure 254 shows contour wrapping and spacing around an image and a drawing object.

Figure 254: Image and drawing objects with contour wrapping

Adding captions to images

You can add captions to images in three ways: automatically, by using the Caption dialog, or
manually.

Adding captions automatically

You can set up LibreOffice to add captions automatically whenever you insert an image, a table,
or other objects into a document. You can choose which objects are captioned automatically,
what the sequence name is for each caption (for example, Table or Figure), and the position of
the caption.
To set up automatic captions, choose Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > AutoCaption. At
the right of the dialog, choose which objects you want to be automatically captioned and specify
the characteristics of the captions.
When you insert an image, if automatic captioning is enabled, the image is placed in a frame
along with a caption containing the default sequence name for images. Position the cursor in the
caption area and type the text for the caption. You can change the sequence name by selecting
one in the drop-down Category list or typing in your own.
If you need a sequence name that is not one of the names provided, you can add any custom
name you wish:
1) Open the AutoCaption dialog, as described above.
2) In the Add captions automatically when inserting section, select LibreOffice Writer
Image. This activates the Caption area in the dialog for images.
3) Under the Category drop-down list, enter the name that you want to add (say, Photo), by
typing it in the box. (Overwriting a term in the box does not delete it from the list.) You can
also set some options for the number style and for a separator between the name and the
number, if desired. Click OK to save the changes.

Adding captions using the Caption dialog

To add captions using the Caption dialog:
1) Insert the image, then either right-click it and select Insert Caption in the context menu,
or select it and choose Insert > Caption on the Menu bar.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 251

 2) Under Properties on the Insert Caption dialog (Figure 255), make your selections for the
Category, Numbering, and Separator fields [Illustration, Arabic (1 2 3), and a colon (:),
respectively, for the example in Figure 255] and type your caption text in the Caption box
at the top. The text you enter for the caption appears in the box at the bottom, after the
sequence name, number, and separator.
3) Click OK. The image and its caption are placed in a frame.

Tip
In the Category box, you can type any name you want (for example, Photo) if the
drop-down list does not include it. Writer will create a numbering sequence using that
name, as it does when using the AutoCaption feature.

Figure 255: Defining the caption for an illustration

Numbering images by chapter

To display additional options for numbering captions, select the Options button in the Insert
Captions dialog to open the Caption Options dialog (Figure 256). Some of these settings, which
refer to the outline level, will have an effect only if you are using outline level paragraph styles on
the chapter headings within your document.
When chapter numbering is set up, Writer will restart the caption numbering for each chapter it
encounters. For example, if the last figure caption you create in chapter 1 is Figure 1.15, and the
next figure caption you create is in chapter 2, the numbering will start over at Figure 2.1.
Options for chapter numbering of captions are:
• Use Level to specify the outline level that triggers a restart of the numbering as well as
how many levels of outline numbering are shown before the table number. For example,
if the document uses Heading 1 style for chapters and Heading 2 style for sub-headings,
if you want all the tables in a chapter (that is, between two Heading 1 paragraphs) to be
numbered sequentially independently of the sub-heading they are under, select 1 as
Level. If instead you want to restart the numbering at each sub-heading, select level 2.
• Use the Separator field to establish the separator between the chapter number and
figure number.

252 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 • Use Character style to set a character style for the caption. This is useful if the separator
of your choice is not a symbol included in the default font type of your document or if you
want the caption to have a special color, size and so on.
• The Apply border and shadow option does not apply to table captions. LibreOffice
normally wraps the objects you can add a caption to in a frame, but not for tables.
• Use Caption order to specify whether you want the category or numbering to appear
first in the caption.

Figure 256: Options for numbering figures

Adding captions manually

If you save as or export to other formats, you may find that captions applied as described above
(either automatically or using the Caption dialog) are lost during the export.
To avoid export problems, or as another way to put captions above images or below them (the
usual case), you can add a caption manually, in either of two ways:
• Place the image and its caption in separate paragraphs.
• Use a table.

Place the image and its caption in separate paragraphs

Insert the image and anchor it to its paragraph as a character. Press Enter to create a new
paragraph for the caption.
1) In the caption paragraph, type, for example, Figure and add a space.
2) To insert the figure number automatically, click Insert > Field > More Fields (Ctrl+F2)
and select the Variables tab.
3) Select Number range in the Type list. Select Figure in the Select list and choose (for
example) Arabic (1 2 3) in the Format drop-down list. Click the Insert button.
4) A number will appear after the word “Figure” in the caption. Now, type the text of the
caption.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 253

 Tip
If you are manually adding captions to a lot of figures using this method, you might
want to make an AutoText entry containing, for example, Figure and a space, the
figure-number field, and an optional separator and a space after it.
To ensure the image and its caption stay together on the page, create a new
paragraph style, for example Figure. If the image is going above the caption, define
the text flow of the Figure paragraph style as Keep with next paragraph and the
next style as Caption. Conversely, if the caption is going above, define the Caption
paragraph style as Keep with next paragraph and the next style as Figure.

Use a table
Create a one-column, two-row table. Place the image in one row and type the caption in the other
row—or use two or more rows for the caption and other text. This method can be especially
useful for images with numbered legends.

Modifying images
When you insert a new image, you may need to modify it to suit the document. The placement of
the image relative to the text is discussed in “Positioning images within the text” on page 284.
This section describes the use of the Image toolbar, resizing, cropping, and rotating an image.
Writer provides many tools for working with images. These tools are sufficient for most people’s
everyday requirements. However, for professional results it is generally better to use an image
manipulation program such as GIMP to modify images (for example, to crop, resize, rotate, and
change color values) and then insert the result into Writer.

1 Filter 10 Color 19 Charcoal Sketch

2 Image Mode 11 Invert 20 Relief
3 Crop Image 12 Smooth 21 Mosaic
4 Flip Vertically 13 Sharpen 22 Color
5 Flip Horizontally 14 Remove Noise 23 Green
6 Rotate 90° Left 15 Solarization 24 Blue
7 Rotate 90° Right 16 Aging 25 Brightness
8 Rotate 17 Posterize 26 Contrast
9 Transparency 18 Pop Art 27 Gamma
Figure 257: Image toolbar plus Color toolbar and Image Filter toolbar

254 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Using the Image toolbar
When you insert an image or select one already present in the document, the Image toolbar
(Figure 257) appears. You can set it to always be present (View > Toolbars > Image) and
choose whether to float or dock it. Two other toolbars can be opened from this one: the Image
Filter toolbar, which can be torn off and placed elsewhere on the window, and the Color toolbar,
which opens as a separate floating toolbar.
From these three toolbars, you can apply small corrections to the image or obtain special effects:
transparency, color adjustment, flipping and rotating, and applying special-effects filters.

Image filters
Table 8 provides a short description of the available filters. The best way to understand them is to
see them in action. Experiment with the different filters and filter settings. You can undo all the
changes by pressing Ctrl+Z or Alt+Backspace or by selecting Edit > Undo. See the Draw
Guide for more about image filters.
Table 8: Image filters and their effects
Name Effect
Inverts the color values of a color image or the brightness values of a
Invert
grayscale image.
Smooth Softens the contrast of an image.
Sharpen Increases the contrast of an image.
Remove noise Removes single pixels from an image.
Mimics the effects of too much light in an image. A further dialog opens
Solarization
to adjust the parameters.
Simulates the effects of time on an image. Can be applied several
Aging
times. A further dialog opens to adjust the aging level.
Makes an image appear like a painting by reducing the number of
Posterize
colors used.
Pop Art Modifies the image dramatically.
Charcoal Sketch Displays the image as a charcoal sketch.
A dialog is displayed to adjust the light source that will create the
Relief
shadow and, hence, the relief effect.
Mosaic Joins groups of pixels into a single area of one color.

Image mode
You can change color images to grayscale, to black-and-white, or to a watermark by selecting the
image and then selecting the relevant item from the Image Mode list.

Flip vertically, horizontally or in 90° rotations

To flip an image vertically, horizontally, or rotate it by ninety degrees, select the image, and then
click the relevant button on the image toolbar.

Transparency
Increase the percentage value in the Transparency box on the image toolbar to make the image
more transparent. This is particularly useful when creating a watermark or when placing the
image in the background.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 255

Color
Use this toolbar to modify the individual RGB color components of the image (red, green, blue)
as well as the brightness, contrast, and gamma of the image. If the result is not satisfactory, you
can press Ctrl+Z to restore the default values.

Using the Formatting toolbar and Image dialog

When an image is selected, you can customize some aspects of its appearance using the tools
available on the Formatting toolbar and in the dialog opened by right-clicking on the image and
selecting Properties. You can, for example, create a border around the image, selecting style
and color; or you can (on the Borders tab of the Image dialog) add a shadow to the image.

Cropping images
When you are only interested in a section of the image for the purpose of your document, you
may wish to crop (cut off) parts of it. Writer provides two ways to crop an image: the Crop tool
and the Crop tab of the Image dialog. The Crop tool provides a quick and easy way to crop an
image; but for more control, use the Image dialog.

Note
If you crop an image in Writer, the image itself is not changed. Writer hides, not cuts
off, part of the image. If you export the document to HTML, the original image is
exported, not the cropped image. For exporting individual cropped images, see
“Exporting (saving) images” on page 298.

Using the Crop tool

To use the Crop tool, right-click the image and select Crop in the context menu. Cropping
handles appear at the corners and mid-points of the sides of the image (Figure 258). Drag a
handle to cut off part of the image. Click outside the image to turn off cropping mode.

Figure 258: Cropping handles on an image

Using the Crop tab of the Image dialog

To crop an image using the Image dialog, right-click the image and select Properties in the
context menu, then select the Crop tab of the Image dialog (Figure 259).

256 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 259: Result of cropping an image using the Keep Scale option
The units of measurement shown on the Crop tab are those set in Tools > Options >
LibreOffice Writer > General.
Two options are available in the Crop section: Keep scale and Keep image size. Keep scale
maintains the proportions of the image; Keep image size may result in distortion of the image.
As the values for Left, Right, Top, and Bottom are altered, the boundaries of the image in the
preview box change to show the crop area on the image, and the Width and Height fields under
either Scale or Image size. This results in either an image size change (Figure 259) or a scale
change for a fixed image size (Figure 260).
The original image size is indicated to the left of the Original Size button.

Figure 260: Result of croping using the Keep image size option

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 257

Resizing an image
To fit the image into the document, you may have to resize it.
A quick and easy way to resize is by dragging the image’s sizing handles:
1) Click the image, if necessary, to show the sizing handles.
2) Position the mouse pointer over one of the sizing handles. The pointer changes shape,
giving a graphical representation of the direction of the resizing.
3) Click and drag to resize the image.
4) Release the mouse button when satisfied with the new size.

Tip
The corner handles resize both the width and the height of the image simultaneously,
while the other four handles resize only one dimension at a time. To retain the
original proportions of the image, hold down the Shift key while dragging one of
these handles.

For more accurate resizing of images, use either the Crop tab (Figure 259) or the Position and
Size tab (Figure 261) of the Image dialog.
On the Crop tab you can adjust the following settings:
• Scale Width and Height: specify in percentages the scaling of the image. The size of the
image changes accordingly. For a symmetrical resizing, both values need to be identical.
• Image size: specify the size of the image in your preferred unit of measurement. The
image enlarges or shrinks accordingly.
• Original size button: when clicked, restores the image to its original size. This will be the
size resulting after any cropping was carried out.
On the Position and Size tab of the Image dialog (Figure 261), in the Size section, toggle the
Relative to option to switch between percentage and actual dimension. For a symmetrical
resizing, select the Keep ratio option. Clicking on the Original Size button restores the original
image size, but the scale dimensions are altered if the image has been cropped.

Figure 261: Resizing by specifying a size on

the Position and Size tab

258 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Rotating or flipping an image
To quickly rotate an image 90 or 180 degrees, or flip it vertically or horizontally, right-click the
image and select Rotate or Flip in the context menu, then choose the desired result. You can
also use the settings on the Rotation tab of the Image dialog (Figure 263).

Figure 262: Quickly rotating or flipping an image

Figure 263: Use the Rotation tab of the Image dialog to flip, link, or rotate an image
You can rotate images at any required angle, using either of these methods:
• Interactively. Select the image and click the Rotate icon on the Image toolbar or right-
click and select Rotate or Flip > Rotate. Rotation handles appear around the object.
Hover the mouse pointer over a handle; when the pointer changes shape, click and drag
it to the required angle. This method is quick and easy, but not precise.
• Using the Image dialog. For precise rotation angles, right-click the image and select
Properties. On the Image dialog (Figure 263), select the Rotation tab. In the Rotation
Angle section, specify the rotation required in the Angle field.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 259

Other settings
The Image dialog (Figure 263) has ten tabs. The Crop tab was described on page 294; the
Position and Size and Wrap tabs are explained in “Positioning images within the text” on page
284. The other tabs serve the following purposes:
• Options: give the image a descriptive name (as you want it to appear in the Navigator),
display alternative text when the cursor hovers over the image in a web browser, protect
some of the image settings from accidental changes, and prevent the image from being
printed.
• Borders: create borders around the image. The Borders dialog is the same as the one
used for defining table or paragraph borders. You can also add a shadow to the image.
• Area: change the background color of the image. This setting produces the desired
results only for images with a transparent color.
• Hyperlink: associate a hyperlink to the image, or create an image map (see page 302).
• Rotation: flip or rotate the image, and display the original location of the file in case the
image is linked rather than embedded.
• Transparency: set the transparency options for the image.
• Macro: associate a macro to the image. You can choose among the predefined macros
or write your own.

Deleting an image
To delete an image, click it to show the resizing handles, then press the Delete key.

Exporting (saving) images

To make complex adjustments to the image in another program, or to save an image for use in
another document, you can export it directly from the document. Right-click the image and
choose Save in the context menu to open the Image Export dialog. Writer will let you save the
image in several formats. Name the image, select the desired image format in the File type list,
and click Save.
Before the image is saved another dialog opens, where you can choose various image size and
format options. The content of this dialog depends on the output file type selected. If the image
has been modified within Writer, you will see a confirmation dialog where you can choose to save
the original version or the modified version of the image.

Compressing images
If you insert a large image in a document and resize it to fit into the layout of the page, the
complete original image is stored in the document file to preserve its content, possibly resulting in
a large document file to store or send by email.
If you can accept some loss of quality of the image rendering, you can compress or resize the
image object to reduce its data volume while preserving its display in the page layout. You
probably do not want to compress something that will be professionally printed.
Right-click to select the image and open the context menu. Then choose Compress to open the
Compress Image dialog (Figure 264). Use the Calculate New Size button to update the image
information on the dialog on each parameter set you change.
Click OK to apply the compression settings. If the resulting image is not acceptable, press
Ctrl+Z to undo and choose another compression setting. For more information, see the Help.

260 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 264: Compressing an image

Using Writer’s drawing tools

You can use Writer’s drawing tools to create graphics such as simple diagrams using rectangles,
circles, lines, text, and other predefined shapes. You can also group several drawing objects to
make sure they maintain their relative position and proportion.
You can place the drawing objects directly on a page in the document or insert them into a frame.
You can also use the drawing tools to annotate photographs, screen captures, or other
illustrations produced by other programs, but this is not recommended because:
• You cannot include images in a group with drawing objects, so they may get out of
alignment in your document.
• If you convert a Writer document to another format, such as HTML, the drawing objects
and the images will not remain associated; they are saved separately.
In general, if you need to create complex drawings, it is recommended you use LibreOffice Draw,
which includes many more features such as layers and styles.

Creating drawing objects

To begin using the drawing tools, display the Drawing toolbar (Figure 265) by clicking View >
Toolbars > Drawing or by clicking on the Show Draw Functions icon on the standard toolbar.

1 Select 7 Rectangle 13 Right Triangle 19 Flowchart

2 Insert Line 8 Rectangle, Rounded 14 Basic Shapes 20 Callouts
3 Lines and Arrows 9 Square 15 Symbol Shapes 21 Insert Text Box
4 Curves & Polygons 10 Ellipse 16 Block Arrows 22 Fontwork
5 Curve 11 Circle 17 Stars & Banners 23 Points
6 Polygon 12 Isosceles Triangle 18 Callouts 24 Toggle Extrusion
Figure 265: The Drawing toolbar

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 261

The Drawing toolbar may appear at the bottom or left side of the workspace. You can move it to
another location and dock it, or float it and move it to a convenient place on the screen.
To use a drawing tool:
1) Click in the document where you want the drawing to be anchored. You can change the
anchor later, if necessary.
2) Select the tool on the Drawing toolbar (Figure 265). The cursor changes to a drawing-
functions pointer and the normal Formatting toolbar changes to the Drawing Object
Properties toolbar (Figure 266).
3) Move the cross-hair pointer to the place in the document where you want the image to
appear and then click-and-drag to create the drawing object. Release the mouse button.
The selected drawing function remains active, so that you can draw another object of the
same type.
4) To cancel the selected drawing function, press the Esc key or click the Select icon (the
arrow) on the Drawing toolbar.
5) You can now change the properties (fill color, line type and weight, anchoring, and others)
of the drawing object using either the Drawing Object Properties toolbar (Figure 266) or
the choices and dialogs reached by right-clicking on the drawing object.

1 Anchor 8 Align Objects 15 Arrow Style 22 Points

2 [Wrap] None 9 Bring to Front 16 Line Style 23 Group
3 [Wrap] Parallel 10 Forward One 17 Line Width 24 Enter Group
4 [Wrap] Optimal 11 Back One 18 Line Color 25 Exit Group
5 [Wrap] Before 12 Send to Back 19 Area Style / Filling 26 Ungroup
6 [Wrap] After 13 To Foreground 20 Fill Color 27 Insert Caption
7 [Wrap] Through 14 To Background 21 Rotate
Figure 266: Drawing Object Properties toolbar

Setting or changing properties for drawing objects

To set the properties for a drawing object before you draw it:
1) On the Drawing toolbar (Figure 265), click the Select tool.
2) On the Drawing Object Properties toolbar (Figure 266), click the icon for each property
and select the value you want for that property.
3) For more control, or to define new attributes, you can click the Area or Line icons on the
toolbar to display detailed dialogs.
The default you set applies to the current document and session. It is not retained when you
close the document or close Writer, and it does not apply to any other document you open. The
defaults apply to all the drawing objects except text objects.

262 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

To change the properties for an existing drawing object, select the object, then continue as
described above.
You can also specify the position and size, rotation, and slant and corner radius properties of the
drawing object: right-click the drawing object and select Position and Size in the context menu.
Choose any properties, as required.

Resizing a drawing object

To resize a drawing object, select the object, click one of the eight handles around it and drag it
to its new size. The object will be scaled up or down.
When you grab an edge or corner handle of an object and drag it, LibreOffice will not keep the
object’s proportions. If you also press the Shift key, the resizing will keep object proportions.
For more accurate control of the size of the object, right-click on the object and choose Position
and Size in the context menu, or choose Format > Text Box and Shape > Position and Size
on the Menu bar. Use the Position and Size tab to set the dimensions independently. If the Keep
ratio option is selected, then the two dimensions change so that the proportion is maintained,
resulting in a scaled resizing.

Grouping drawing objects

Grouping drawing objects makes it easier to handle several objects as a single entity, while
preserving their relative sizes and positions. When objects are grouped, any editing operations
carried out on that group are applied to all members of the group. If you click on one member of
the group, the whole group is selected.
To group drawing objects:
1) Select one object, then hold down the Shift key and select the others you want to
include in the group. The bounding box expands to include all the selected objects.
2) With the objects selected, hover the mouse pointer over one of the objects and choose
Format > Group > Group on the Menu bar, or click the Group icon on the Drawing
Object Properties toolbar, or right-click and choose Group in the context menu.

Note
You cannot include an embedded or linked image in a group with drawing objects.

You can edit an individual member of a group without ungrouping or breaking the group. Select
the group and then do one of the following:
• Go to Format > Group > Enter Group on the Menu bar.
• Right-click and select Enter Group in the context menu.
• Click the Enter Group icon on the Drawing Object Properties toolbar.
When you have finished editing an individual member of a group, do one of the following:
• Go to Format > Group > Exit Group on the Menu bar.
• Right-click and select Exit Group in the context menu.
• Click the Exit Group icon on the Drawing Object Properties toolbar.
To ungroup or break apart a group of objects, select the group and then do one of the following:
• Go to Format > Group > Ungroup on the Menu bar.
• Right-click and select Ungroup in the context menu.
• Click the Ungroup icon on the Drawing Object Properties toolbar.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 263

Rotating drawing objects
You can rotate a drawing object in a similar way to rotating images (page 297). To rotate a
drawing object to any required angle, use either of these methods:
• Interactively. Select the drawing object and click the Rotate icon on the Drawing Object
Properties toolbar. Rotation handles appear around the object. Hover the mouse pointer
over a handle; when the pointer changes shape, click and drag it to the required angle.
• Position and Size dialog. Right-click the object and select Position and Size. On the
dialog (Figure 267), select the Rotation tab. In the Rotation Angle field, specify the
rotation required. By default, rotation is around the center of the object, but you can
choose a different pivot point.

Tip
Of particular interest to Writer is the Text Box drawing object. Ordinary text can only
be rotated to 90, 180, or 270 degrees, as described in Chapter 9, but a Text Box
object can be rotated to any desired angle.

Figure 267: Position and Size dialog, Rotation tab

Creating an image map

An image map defines areas of an image (called hotspots) with hyperlinks to web addresses,
other files on the computer, or parts of the same document. Hotspots are the graphic equivalent
of text hyperlinks. Clicking on a hotspot causes LibreOffice to open the linked page in the
appropriate program (for example, the default browser for an HTML page; LibreOffice Calc for a
ODS file; a PDF viewer for a PDF). You can create hotspots of various shapes and include
several hotspots in the same image.

264 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 268: The dialog to create or edit an image map
To use the ImageMap Editor (Figure 268):
1) In the Writer document, select the image in which you want to define the hotspots.
2) Choose Tools > ImageMap on the Menu bar. The ImageMap Editor (Figure 268) opens.
3) Use the tools and fields in the dialog (described below) to define the hotspots and links.
4) Click the Apply icon to apply the settings.
6) When done, click the Save icon to save the image map to a file, then close the dialog.
The main part of the dialog shows the image on which the hotspots are defined. A hotspot is
identified by a line indicating its shape.
The toolbar at the top of the dialog contains the following tools:
• Apply: applies the changes.
• Open, Save, Close, and Select.
• Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, and Freeform Polygon: tools for drawing a hotspot
shape. These tools work in the same way as the tools in the Drawing toolbar.
• Edit, Move, Insert, Delete Points: advanced editing tools to manipulate the shape of a
polygon hotspot. Select the Edit Points tool to activate the other tools.
• Undo and Redo: cancels the previous action or reapplies the previous canceled action.
• Active: toggles the status of a selected hotspot between active and inactive.
• Macro: associates a macro with the hotspot instead of just associating a hyperlink.
• Properties: sets the hyperlink properties and adds the Name attribute to the hyperlink.
Below the toolbar, specify for the selected hotspot:
• Address: the address pointed to by the hyperlink. You can also point to an anchor in a
document; to do this, write the address in this format:
file:///<path>/document_name#anchor_name

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 265

 • Text: type the text that you want to be displayed when the mouse pointer is moved over
the hotspot.
• Frame: where the target of the hyperlink will open: pick among _blank (opens in a new
browser window), _self (opens in the active browser window), _top or _parent.

Tip
The value _self for the target frame will work in the vast majority of occasions. It is
therefore not recommended to use the other choices unless absolutely necessary.

Managing the LibreOffice Gallery

By default, the Gallery is opened in the Sidebar. You can let the Gallery float as you can other
Sidebar decks. You can display the Gallery in Icon View (Figure 247) or Detailed View (Figure
269), and you can hide or show the Gallery by clicking on the Sidebar’s Hide button.
Graphics in the Gallery are grouped by themes, such as Arrows, Diagrams, and People. You can
create other groups or themes and add your own images or find extensions containing more
graphics. Click a theme to see its contents displayed in the Gallery window.

Note
The default themes supplied with LibreOffice can not be customized, although new
themes can be added; see “Adding a new theme to the Gallery” below. The locked
themes are easily recognizable by right-clicking on them; the only option in the
context menu is Properties.

Figure 269: Gallery in Detailed View

266 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Adding a new theme to the Gallery
You may wish to add your own theme to the Gallery to hold any images or other objects that you
use frequently, for example, a company logo. Or you may wish to add several themes, each
holding images for a specific project.
To add a new theme to the Gallery:
1) Click the New button below the list of themes (Figure 269).
2) In the Properties of New Theme dialog, click the General tab and type a name for the new
theme.
3) Click the Files tab and add images to the theme, as described below.

Tip
You can also get more gallery themes from the LibreOffice extensions website at
https://extensions.libreoffice.org/, including themes from previous versions of
LibreOffice that are no longer installed with the program. Themes in extensions
install automatically.

Adding objects to the Gallery

To add objects to a theme that you have created:
1) Right-click the name of the theme and select Properties in the context menu.
2) In the theme’s Properties dialog, click the Files tab (Figure 270).

Figure 270: Gallery Properties dialog

To add several files at once:
1) In the Properties dialog, click the Find Files button.
2) The Select Path dialog (not shown) opens. You can enter the path for the file’s directory in
the Path text box, or you can navigate to locate the file’s directory.
3) Click the Select button to start the search. A list of files is then displayed in the Properties
dialog. You can use the file type drop-down list to limit the files displayed.
4) To add all of the files shown in the list, click Add All. Otherwise, select the files to add and
then click Add (hold down either the Shift key or the Ctrl key while clicking on the
files).
To add a single file:
1) In the Properties dialog, click Add to open the Gallery dialog (a file browser).
2) Use the navigation controls to locate the image to add to the theme. Select it and then
click Open to add it to the theme.
3) Click OK on the Properties dialog to close it.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 267

Deleting images and themes from the Gallery
To delete an image from a theme, right-click on the name of the image file or its thumbnail in the
Gallery, then click Delete in the context menu. A message appears, asking if you want to delete
this object. Click Yes.

Note
Deleting the name of a file from the list in the Gallery does not delete the file from the
hard disk or other location.

To delete a theme from the Gallery, select it from the list of themes, right-click, then click Delete
in the context menu. You cannot delete a theme supplied with LibreOffice.

Location of the Gallery and the objects in it

Graphics and other objects shown in the Gallery can be located anywhere on your computer’s
hard disk, on a network drive, or other removable media. When you add graphics to the Gallery,
the files are not moved or copied; the location of each new object is simply added as a reference.
In a workgroup, you may have access to a shared Gallery (where you cannot change the
contents unless authorized to do so) and a user Gallery, where you can add, change, or delete
objects.
The location of the user Gallery is specified in Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Paths. You can
change this location, and you can copy your gallery files (SDV) to other computers.
Gallery contents provided with LibreOffice are stored in a different location. You cannot change
this location.

Note
The locations of Gallery themes distributed through LibreOffice extensions are
determined by the extensions’ settings.

Using Fontwork
With Fontwork you can create graphical text art objects to make your work more attractive. There
are many different settings for text art objects (line, area, position, size, and more), so you have a
large choice.

Creating a Fontwork object

1) On the Fontwork toolbar (View > Toolbars > Fontwork) or the Drawing toolbar (View >
Toolbars > Drawing), click the Insert Fontwork Text icon, or choose Insert > Fontwork
on the Menu bar.
2) In the Fontwork Gallery dialog (Figure 271), select a Fontwork style (scroll down to see
more choices), then click OK.

268 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 271: The Fontwork Gallery
3) The Fontwork object will appear in your document. Notice the squares around the edge
(indicating that the object is selected) and the differently colored dot; these are discussed
in “Moving and resizing Fontwork objects” on page 309.
4) Resize the object using one of the corner handles (hold down the Shift key to keep the
sides proportional), or right-click and choose Position and Size in the context menu for
more precise sizing.
5) Double-click the object to edit the Fontwork text (Figure 272). Type your own text in place
of the black text that appears over the object.

Figure 272: Editing Fontwork text

6) Click anywhere in a free space or press Esc to apply your changes.

Editing a Fontwork object

Now that the Fontwork object is created, you can edit some of its attributes. To do this, you can
use the Fontwork toolbar, the Fontwork panel on the Properties deck in the Sidebar, the
Formatting toolbar, or menu options as described in this section. If the selected Fontwork object
is a 3D object, you can also use the 3D-Settings toolbar.

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 269

Using the Fontwork toolbar
Make sure that the Fontwork toolbar (Figure 273) is visible. If you do not see it, go to View >
Toolbars > Fontwork. Click the icons to edit Fontwork objects. Icons 2–6 also appear in the
Fontwork panel on the Properties deck in the Sidebar.

Figure 273: The floating Fontwork toolbar

1) Fontwork Gallery: Opens the Fontwork Gallery (Figure 271).
2) Fontwork Shape: Edits the shape of the selected object. You can choose from a palette
of shapes.

3) Fontwork Same Letter Heights: Changes the height of characters in the object. Toggles
between normal height (some characters taller than others, for example capital letters, d,
h, l and others) and all letters the same height.

Figure 274: Left: normal letters; right: same letter heights

4) Fontwork Alignment: Changes the alignment of characters. Choices are Left Align,
Center, Right Align, Word Justify, and Stretch Justify. The effects of the text alignment
can only be seen if the text spans over two or more lines. Stretch Justify fills all the lines
completely.

270 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 5) Fontwork Character Spacing: Changes the character spacing and kerning in the object.
Choices are Very Tight, Tight, Normal, Loose, Very Loose, and Custom..., which opens a
small dialog where you can specify a percentage.

6) Toggle Extrusion: changes a 2D Fontwork object into a 3D object or a 3D object into a

2D object.

Using the Formatting toolbar

You can customize the Fontwork object with several more attributes. Click on the object; the
Formatting toolbar changes to show the options for customizing the object. These choices are
the same as the ones for other drawing objects, described earlier in this chapter. See also the
Draw Guide for details.

Using menu options

You can use some the choices in the Format menu to anchor, align, arrange, and group selected
Fontwork objects, wrap text around them, and flip them horizontally and vertically.
You can also right-click a Fontwork object and choose many of the same options in the context
menu. The context menu also provides quick access to the Line, Area, and Position and Size
dialogs. On the Position and Size dialog, you can enter precise values for size and position. For
more information on all of these menu options, see the Draw Guide.

Using the 3D-Settings toolbar

If the selected Fontwork object is a 3D object, you can also use the options on the 3D-Settings
toolbar. You can also change a 2D Fontwork object into a 3D object (or change a 3D object into a
2D object) by clicking the Toggle Extrusion icon on the Fontwork toolbar. For more information,
see the Draw Guide.

Moving and resizing Fontwork objects

When you select a Fontwork object, eight squares (known as handles) appear around the edge
of the object, as shown below. You can drag these handles to resize the object.
A dark or colored dot also appears on the object. This dot may be in the same place as a handle,
or it may be somewhere else. If you hover the cursor over this dot, the cursor changes shape.
You can drag the dot in different directions to distort the object.
Hovering the mouse pointer over other parts of the object turns the pointer into the usual symbol
for dragging the object to another part of the page.
For precise control of the location and size of the object, and to rotate the object, use the Position
and Size dialog (Figure 267 on page 302).

Chapter 11, Images and Graphics | 271

 Figure 275: Handles and distortion dot on Fontwork object

272 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 12,
Lists
Introduction
This chapter expands on information given in Chapter 9, Working with Styles, and provides some
extra examples.
In many word processors, list options are included in paragraph styles, but Writer treats them as
a separate type of style that can be linked to paragraph styles for use.
Writer’s separate list styles have two major advantages:
• The same list style can be used with multiple paragraph styles, avoiding duplication of
design work.
• A paragraph’s associated list style can be changed with a single selection.

Tip
You cannot change the style used by the default toolbar icons for lists. You can
create new toolbar buttons that apply list styles to paragraphs, but a better strategy
is to create paragraph styles for lists and, if you wish, create toolbar icons for them.
See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, for information on creating toolbar buttons.

Types of list
With list styles, you can create three types of list:
• Unordered (bullet) lists: List items start with a bullet, special character, dingbat, or
graphic.
• Ordered (numbered) lists: List items start with a number, upper or lower case letter, or
upper or lower case Roman numeral.
• Outline lists: Hierarchical summaries of an argument or piece of writing, in which each
level has its own numbering system.

Unordered (bullet) lists

Unordered lists are popular in technical documents, presentations, many web sites, and other
online documents. They are used when the order of the points is irrelevant or not important.
Writer provides several pre-defined bullet styles for unordered lists (Figure 276), and you can
select others in the Gallery or create your own bullets.

Figure 276: Writer’s pre-defined bullet types

274 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
Unordered list styles can be used for other purposes in addition to normal lists,
especially if you choose a graphic for the bullet. See “Example: Styling the Tips,
Notes, and Cautions in this book” on page 327.

Ordered (numbered) lists

Ordered lists should only be used when the order of the information matters. For instance, in a
procedure from a technical manual, one step might be impossible – or even dangerous – without
doing another one first.
Each step can have multiple paragraphs, most of them unordered, describing what happens
when it is performed or the alternatives.
If each step has multiple paragraphs or you have more than about a dozen steps, you may need
to divide the list into smaller lists or use nested lists (see “Nesting lists” on page 318).
Writer provides several pre-defined ordered list styles (Figure 277), and you can define others.

Figure 277: Writer’s pre-defined numbered lists

Outline lists
Outline lists summarize the structure of a much longer, typically unwritten document. In finished
technical and legal documents, they are used in headings to make the structure obvious,
although this use is becoming less common than it was a few decades ago.
Writer gives several options for outline lists (Figure 278). List styles create an outline method that
uses a single paragraph style. When such a paragraph style is in use, you change the level and
the numbering by pressing the Tab key to descend a level, and Shift+Tab to ascend a level.
This single style outlining is by far the quickest to apply and learn.

Figure 278: Writer’s pre-defined outline list styles

Chapter 12, Lists | 275

You can choose to use outline lists when writing a document and then, before publication,
remove the letters and numbers of the outline by changing or removing the numbering style
associated with the paragraph style.
The conventions for outline lists are:
• Usually, a different numbering system is used for each level to help distinguish them.
• Levels can be ordered using Arabic numerals, upper and lower case Roman numerals,
and upper and lower case letters.
• Upper case Roman numerals are usually reserved for the top level, and upper case
letters are used before lower case ones. Another alternative is Arabic numbers followed
by lower case letters. However, these rules are not fixed.
• In technical manuals, multiple levels used to be common in headings (for instance, I.A.2
or 1.1.1). This style has largely fallen out of practice except in a few specialized cases
such as legal documents, for the obvious reason that they are hard to remember. Also, if
each heading is indented, after two or three levels almost no space is left for text.

Combining list and paragraph styles

Paragraph styles are essential to lists and outlining. When applying a list style, the underlying
paragraph style remains unchanged. If your list must also have a certain font size, indentations,
and so on, you might expect to first apply a paragraph style and then a list style (or the other way
around). However, you can embed a list style in a paragraph style using the Outline & List tab of
the Paragraph Style dialog, and then apply only the paragraph style to the list.
This section gives an example of combining list and paragraph styles:
1) Create a list style you want to use for the paragraph. For example: MyNumberedList.
2) Create a new paragraph style.
3) On the Organizer tab of the Paragraph Style dialog:
a) Give the new paragraph style a name, say NumberedParagraph.
b) For the Next Style, choose NumberedParagraph (this will make the following
paragraph also be in this style, until you choose a different style).
c) In Inherited from, choose None.
4) Set up this paragraph style to your liking. Because the indentation is controlled by the List
style, to avoid undesired interactions do not change the indent settings on the Indents &
Spacing tab. (You might want to change the spacing above and below the paragraph.)
5) On the Outline & List tab (Figure 279), choose the MyNumberedList style created in
step 1 in the Numbering style list.
6) Click OK to save this style.
To have full control, it is common practice to define three base paragraph styles for lists: List Start
for the first element of the list, List Continue for the subsequent elements of the list, and List End
for the last element of the list.
You could also define a paragraph style to be used for unordered list items (one for each nested
level you intend to use) as well as an introductory style for the paragraph preceding the start of
the list, to allow for keeping the introductory paragraph with the first list item or for specifying
spacing before the first list item that is different from the spacing between other paragraphs.

276 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 279: Assigning a list style to a paragraph style

Nesting lists
A nested list – a list within a list – is an ordered or unordered list with subordinate (usually
indented) ordered or unordered lists. Rather than being just a list of numbered items (1, 2, 3...), a
nested list may have item 1, then indented items numbered a, b, c or i, ii, iii or some other
numbering or bulleted method before the main number 2. With list styles, you can achieve any
combination of list formats you want. A nested list may even combine ordered items with
unordered items (Figure 280).

Figure 280: Nested lists created using two list styles

To nest a list, you have two choices. The first is to create a list style, and set up two or more list
levels with different formatting choices on the Position and Customize tabs. The advantage of list
levels is that each level can be formatted separately, but all the levels remain connected. The
preview pane can help you set up each list level.
The customized list style is associated with a paragraph style for use. To switch to a lower list
level while using the associated paragraph style, press the Tab key before entering content; to
switch to a higher list level, press Shift+Tab.
The second choice is to create two list styles, then associate each list style with a separate
paragraph style.
Neither choice has any advantage over the other, since you are still dealing with the same
options. However, in both cases, each nested list is typically indented more than the list level
above it. Typically, each list level will use a different bullet style or numbering system.

Chapter 12, Lists | 277

Style names like Bulleted and Bulleted 2 or Nested will help to remind you of the relation between
the two paragraph styles. For convenience, use the same names for both the paragraph and list
styles, since they cannot be mixed up.

Outlining with paragraph styles

LibreOffice has several ways to outline using paragraph styles. With Tools > Chapter
Numbering, you can choose a numbering style for each paragraph style, making it part of the
outline levels. Alternatively, you can associate each Heading style with a separate list style using
the Styles deck on the Sidebar.
An easier form of outlining is to create a single list style for outlining. You can manually set up the
different levels on the list style’s Customize tab, or you can get much the same result by selecting
a pre-defined pattern from the list style’s Outline tab instead.
To use the paragraph style, press Enter+Tab to add a sub-level paragraph. The sub-level
paragraph automatically uses the numbering pattern of the list style. To raise the level of a
paragraph style, press Enter+Shift+Tab.

Creating outlines with a single paragraph style

To set up a single paragraph style for outlining:
1) Create a list style and associate it with one of the pre-defined formats on the Outline tab.
2) Select or make a paragraph style for outlining. You cannot use the Heading 1-10 styles.
Presumably, this restriction prevents confusion between a single paragraph style outline
and the registered outline levels (see next section).
3) On the Organizer tab of the paragraph style, set the style to use itself as the Next style.
4) Assign the list style to the paragraph style using the Numbering field on the paragraph
style’s Outline & List tab.

Adding paragraph styles to outline levels

Outline levels are a concept used throughout LibreOffice to automate advanced features. For
example, outline levels determine which paragraph styles are displayed by default in the
Navigator under Headings, and in a table of contents.
By default, outline levels are mapped to the Heading 1–10 paragraph styles. Outline Level 1 is
mapped to Heading 1, and so on. You can change these mappings, or add another paragraph
style to an outline level in the Outline level field on the Outline & List tab (Figure 281).

Figure 281: Assigning a paragraph style to an outline level

278 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
You can assign more than one paragraph style to an outline level, but only one
paragraph style displays in Tools > Chapter Numbering.

Applying list styles

List styles define properties such as indentation, numbering style (for example, 1,2,3; a,b,c; or
bullets), and punctuation after the number, but they do not by themselves define properties such
as font, borders, text flow, and so on. The latter are properties of paragraph styles.
Although you can apply list styles using the Styles menu on the Menu bar or the Styles deck on
the Sidebar, those methods are not recommended.
Whenever possible, use paragraph styles for creating lists. Writer comes with two sets of
paragraph styles for this purpose. It is recommended to use list styles and paragraph styles
together in these ways:
• Use paragraph styles List 1, List 2, List 3, and so on for creating unordered lists. These
styles use Bullet styles.
• Use paragraph styles Numbering 1, Numbering 2, Numbering 3, etc, for creating ordered
lists. These styles use the list styles Numbering 1, Numbering 2, and so on.
Writer has several predefined list styles, which use different bullet symbols or number sequences
(123, abc, ABC, and so on). As with any style, you can redefine the properties of these styles, for
example the numbering or bullet symbol and the indentation. You can also define other list styles
in these series or create your own series.
List styles can have up to ten levels, used for nested lists. To switch from one level to another,
use the Promote One Level or Demote One Level icons on the Bullets and Numbering toolbar,
or press the Tab key (one level down) or Shift+Tab keys (one level up), or right-click on the list
element and select List > Promote One Level or Demote One Level in the context menu.

Restarting or continuing the numbering

When creating more than one ordered list of the same type within the same chapter, Writer
applies sequential numbering to all the lists. Sometimes this is what you want (for example, when
placing illustrations between the ordered paragraphs), while at other times you want to restart the
numbering.
To restart the numbering of any ordered list, right-click the paragraph and select List > Restart
Numbering in the context menu or use the Restart numbering at this paragraph option in the
Apply List Style section on the Paragraph dialog (Figure 282).

Figure 282: Restarting list numbering

Chapter 12, Lists | 279

When editing a document, you may want to change from restarting numbering to continuing the
numbering from a previous list. To do so, right-click on the list element and choose List > Add to
List in the context menu.

Naming list styles

LibreOffice provides several default styles for unordered and ordered lists. You can modify these
styles, and you can add your own list styles and give them descriptive names like Arabic Numeral
Blue or Lower Case Indented.
If you decide not to use these styles, you can right-click each of them in the Styles deck on the
Sidebar and hide them. If you later decide to use them, go to the Hidden Styles view and unhide
them.

Tip
Using the same name for both the list style and the paragraph style with which it is
linked can make working with different types of styles much easier. If you use a
character style to define the bullet or number, give it the same name, too.

Figure 283: Give related styles similar names and

you can locate the ones you need more quickly

Formatting list styles

You have two ways of formatting bullets and numbers in list styles.
The quick way is to select a list style from the Unordered, Ordered, Outline, or Image tabs of the
List Style dialog (Figure 284). Each of these tabs give a variety of options, although not an
exhaustive selection.
Even if the choices on the Image tab look old-fashioned, they can be useful; for instance, see
“Example: Styling the Tips, Notes, and Cautions in this book” on page 327.
The second way is to customize unordered or ordered lists for yourself, using the Customize and
Position tabs. Both tabs have ten levels. This setting is mostly useful for creating a single outline
numbering style, in which the numbering changes each time you press the Tab key (see “Outline
lists” on page 316). For most unordered and ordered lists, either set the Level to 1, or leave the
Level at the default 1-10.

Positioning bullets, numbers, and list items

The Position tab of the List Style dialog (Figure 284) sets up the spacing before bullets or
numbers, and between the bullet or number and the text.

280 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

When a list style is linked to a paragraph style, editing the fields on the Position tab in the List
Style dialog results in changes to the Indent > Before text and Indent > First line settings on the
Indents & Spacing tab for the paragraph style.

Figure 284: The Position tab is one of two tabs in the List Style dialog for
customizing lists
The reverse is also true. However, to avoid complications, make all the changes on the Position
tab for the list style. Not only is that the logical place to look for changes on the list style, but
adjusting the paragraph settings usually involves negative entries for the First Line field, which
can complicate editing.

Understanding position fields

Figure 285: Fields on the Position tab for list styles and what they refer to

Chapter 12, Lists | 281

When you are defining a new list style, the important fields on the Position tab are:
• Aligned at: The vertical position for numbers, measured from the left margin. In most
cases, you can leave this field at 0 (at the left margin). However, if you use any
Numbering alignment except Left, numbers set this field to another value.
• Numbering alignment: How the bullet or number is aligned. Most of the time, you can
leave this field at the default of Left, but if you are having trouble positioning text,
changing the alignment to Center or Right can sometimes solve the problem, especially
for lists or levels that require two-digit numbers.
• Numbering followed by: Sets the space between the number or bullet and the text.
Although the choices include space or nothing, the choice that offers the most control is
Tab stop at. Set the exact tab in the Tab stop at field directly below the drop-down list.
• Indent at: Sets the start of the text. This setting should be equal or greater to the tab stop
set for Numbering followed by.

Figure 286: The dotted line is the margin in this example. If the value of the Numbering
Alignment is 0, then choosing Center or Right can force the numbers into the left margin.

Formatting ordered lists

To create an ordered list, select a numbering style from the Number field on the Customize tab
(Figure 287). The selections in the drop-down list begin with typical choices for Western
European languages: Arabic, upper and lower case letters, and upper and lower case Roman
numerals. Scroll down, and options for Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, and Greek are available.

Figure 287: Select a numbering style from the Customize tab

282 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Adding characters before and after numbers
You can set up to 40 characters before or after the number using the Before and After fields.
These characters are added automatically whenever the list style is applied.
Common characters after a number might be a period or a parenthesis. Alternatively, you might
put a parenthesis both before or after the number, or text such as Step in the Before field.
In a numbered list, you can choose the number of outline levels in the list by adjusting the Show
sublevels field. For example, if you decided to show three sublevels, the first use of the third
sublevel would be numbered 1.1.1.

Note
Using the Before, After, and/or Show sublevels fields means that the settings on the
Position tab need to be adjusted so there is enough space between the number and
the text.

Setting the character style

By default, the Character Style field for numbered lists is set to the Numbering Symbols character
style, and for bulleted lists to the Bullets character style.
For most purposes, you probably have no reason to change these defaults. Unless modified,
these character styles use the same font and font size as the default character style of the list
paragraph, and they apply to both the number and any text in the Before or After fields.
Common modifications include making the numbers or bullets larger, giving them a corporate
color, making them bold, or using a condensed version of a font.

Note
You may need to change the text indent if you use a larger font, especially for two- or
three-digit numbers. The line height may also need to be increased.

Example: Formatting large list numbers

To have the numbers in a larger or different font, or a different color, from the text of the list,
follow these steps:
1) Create a new character style for the numbers, or modify an existing character style. For
this example, the new style is named Numbers Large.
On the Font tab of the Character Style dialog for Numbers Large, increase the font size.
To change the color of the number, go to the Font Effects tab. Click OK to save the new
or modified character style.
2) Create a new list style, or modify an existing list style. On the Customize tab of the List
Style dialog (Figure 288), choose the character style you created or modified. For this
example, choose Numbers Large. Click OK to save the style.
3) Create a new paragraph style, or modify an existing paragraph style. On the Outline &
List tab of the Paragraph Style dialog, choose the list style you created or modified.
4) Apply the paragraph style in the usual way to the items of the list.

Caution
If you modify an existing character, list, or paragraph style, the changes will affect all
lists in the document that use those styles.

Chapter 12, Lists | 283

 Figure 288: Choosing the character style for the numbers of a list

Working with two-digit list numbers

Numbers with two digits can displace list items (Figure 289). You can correct this problem in
several ways:
• Add extra space between the number and the list item using the Indent at field on the
Position tab of the dialog. Do not add so much space that the association between
numbers and list items is lost.
• Adjust the size of the numbers using the Character Style field on the Customize tab.
• Set the Numbering Alignment to Right. Watch that this change does not extend numbers
into the left margin.

Figure 289: Unless extra spacing is provided, the list items

are displaced when the numbering enters two digits.

Tip
People occasionally ask for numbered lists that count down from the starting
number, instead of up, presumably for Top 10 lists and other countdowns.
Unfortunately, LibreOffice will not automatically generate numbers for reverse order
in lists. A reverse order list must be entered manually.

284 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Formatting unordered lists
The default character style for unordered lists gives you a standard bullet for the Default
Paragraph Style. However, you might want to change the symbol using the Character field on the
Customize tab. Selecting the Character field opens a dialog from which you can choose any
symbol supported by the current font.

Tip
When you use an unusual character style for bullets, be sure to embed the font used
when you share a file.

If your design includes nested bullet lists – that is, bullet lists within bullet lists – you might want
to create an additional list style with a name like Bullets2.
However, if you do use more than one bullet list style, make sure their designs are compatible. In
fact, indenting the nested bullets and nothing more is enough to distinguish them from the top
level bullets.

Example: Making a checklist

Depending on the characters you choose, unordered list styles can serve as more than bullet
lists. For example, an unordered list can be made into a checklist by selecting the font or
character used for the bullet.

Figure 290: Three bullet styles for checklists

If you want a checklist to be used with a pen, set up the list style in the usual way, using a
character style that uses the OpenSymbol font that ships with LibreOffice, and assign the
character U+E00B (a shaded open box) as the bullet (that is two zeros, not lower case “o”s). Print
the list, and it is immediately ready for use. Add some corporate branding and letterhead, and the
To Do list can be used in business.
If you want to use the list on the computer, create two list styles, one that uses the character
U+2752, and one that uses the character U+E531 (a box with a check mark). Create the list using
the first style, then tick off an item by applying the second style to it.
Depending on the purpose of the list, you can also create a third list style that uses the character
U+E532 (an X mark) to indicate items that were not completed.

Using images as bullets

Using an image instead of a standard bullet is a convenient way to add some originality to your
document. However, you are limited by the small size at which most bullets display. Mostly,
simple images with strong contrast work best as a substitute bullet. Often, a black and white
image is most effective.
Images used for bullets are also a way to position an image on a page. In particular, they can be
used to create warning signs and indications in a technical manual or an informal text.
In either case, select a graphic to use in Customize > Number in the dialog for the List style.
Choosing Graphics embeds the picture within the document file. By contrast, Linked graphics
only adds a link to the graphic. You may need to scroll up in the Number drop-down list to see
these choices.

Chapter 12, Lists | 285

 Figure 291: The fields for using a graphic as a bullet appear after you
have selected Graphics or Linked Graphics
After you choose Graphics or Linked graphics, the dialog displays a set of fields for editing the
bullet:
• The Select drop-down list has two choices for selecting an image: Gallery, which opens a
list of bullets in the Gallery, and From file, which opens a file manager.
• The Width and Height fields set the size at which the image displays. They do not affect
the original image file.

Tip
If the image is cut off, either adjust the image size or else change the line spacing to
At Least so the top half of the characters in a line is not chopped off.

• Keep ratio, when selected, ensures that changing either the Width or Height field
changes the other proportionally.
• Alignment can usually be ignored, but can help when the height of the graphic is greater
than the height of the text, as in the graphics for Tips, Notes, and Cautions in the
LibreOffice guides.

Example: Styling the Tips, Notes, and Cautions in this book

List styles can be used for more than lists. For example, the Tips, Notes, and Cautions in the
LibreOffice guides use list styles to position the graphics and text. Here is how the Tips are
created and used. The others are done in the same way, but with a different logo and text.
Step 1. Create a paragraph style for the body of a tip, note, or caution.
The body of a tip, note, or caution in this book is indented under the heading and has a line under
it to set it off from the main text.
1) On the Sidebar, go to Styles > Paragraph Styles. Right-click and choose New. Name
the new style Text Note.
2) On the Indents & Spacing tab (Figure 292), specify the indentation and spacing for the
body of the Tip.

286 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 292: Choosing indentation and spacing for the body of the Tip
3) On the Borders tab (Figure 293), select a bottom border, increase the thickness, and
specify the spacing between the text and the border. Choose Merge with next
paragraph to cause the border to appear under only the final paragraph if the Tip
includes more than one paragraph.

Figure 293: Defining the bottom border of the Tip body text
4) Style the paragraph (font and so on) in the usual way.
5) Click OK to save the paragraph style.
Step 2. Create a list style.
1) On the Sidebar, go to Styles > List Styles. Right-click and choose New. Name the new
style Heading Tip.
2) On the Image tab (Figure 294), select an appropriate image. (Or, skip this step and select
an image on the Customize tab.)

Chapter 12, Lists | 287

 Figure 294: Selecting a bullet image
3) On the Customize tab (Figure 295), choose Graphics in the Number field. Optionally,
click Select in the Graphics field and choose an image from a file or from the Gallery. (For
the Tips, Notes, and Cautions in the LibreOffice guides, images were selected from
external files.)
If the bullet image selected is too large or too small for your design, specify a width and
height. You can use these fields to resize the original image.
In the Alignment field, select where you want the image to line up with the text.

Figure 295: Customizing the size and alignment of the bullet image

4) On the Position tab (Figure 296), choose settings as described in “Positioning bullets,
numbers, and list items” on page 321.
5) Click OK to save the list style.

288 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 296: Choosing position and spacing settings for the bullet image

Step 3. Create a paragraph style for the Heading Tip and connect it to the list style.
1) In the Sidebar, go to Styles > Paragraph Styles. Right-click and choose New. Name the
new style Heading Tip.
2) On the Organizer tab (Figure 297), specify the Next Style to be the one you created for
the body of the Tip; in this case, Text Note.

Figure 297: Specifying the Next style for the Heading Tip style
3) Style the paragraph in the usual way, then go to the Outline & List tab (Figure 298). In the
List style field, select the list style you created. Click OK to save the paragraph style.

Figure 298: Connecting the list style to the paragraph style

Chapter 12, Lists | 289

Step 4. Apply the paragraph styles to the heading and text of the Tip, Note, or Caution.
1) Type the word Tip in a new paragraph. (You must type at least one character or a space,
or else the graphic disappears when you press Enter, leaving the indent but no bullet.)
2) Apply the Heading Tip paragraph style.
3) Press Enter. The next paragraph should automatically have the Text Note paragraph
style. Type the text for the body of the tip. (If you have already typed the text, then apply
the style manually.)

Example: Creating and using a simple list style

In this example, we will create a list that is used to number the songs on a CD. The numbers are
right-aligned, and some space is left between the number and the title of the track.
As we want to reuse the same list for other CDs, we will define a new list style and a related
paragraph style, then apply the paragraph style to the tracks list. (We could directly apply the list
style to the items on the list, but using a paragraph style is better practice.)

Creating the CDTrack list style

As for the previous example, start by clicking the List Styles icon on the Styles deck of the
Sidebar. Then right-click anywhere in the list box and choose New.
The List Style dialog is displayed. For the CDTracks style, we need to customize fields in the
Organizer, Options, and Position tabs.
On the Organizer tab, type CDTrack in the Name box and leave the Category as Custom styles.
On the Customize tab (Figure 299), modify the options as follows:
1) In the Level box, choose 1.
2) In the Number list, choose 1, 2, 3,....
3) Make sure Start at is set to 1.
4) Leave the Character style field as None.
5) Show sublevels should be grayed out.
6) Leave the Before and After boxes empty.
7) Do not select Consecutive numbering.

Figure 299: Settings for the new numbering style on the Customize tab

290 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The list will adopt the settings of the underlying paragraph style. If you want to use a special font,
size, or color for the numbering symbol, you can create a character style and select it in the
Customize tab.
If you want the word Track to appear before the number, add it to the Before field on the
Customize tab. Do not forget to add a space to separate the word from the number.
Set up the final parameters of the CDTrack list style on the Position tab (Figure 300).
1) In the Level box, choose 1.
2) For Aligned at, choose 1.5cm. (This refers to the alignment of the numbers.)
3) For Numbering alignment, choose Right.
4) For Numbering followed by, choose Tab stop.
5) For Tab stop at, choose 4.0cm.
6) For Indent at, choose 4.0cm. (This sets the indentation of the list.)
7) Click OK to finish.

Figure 300: Settings for the new list style on the Position tab

Creating the CDTracks paragraph style

Although we could directly apply the list style to the items on the list, using a paragraph style is
better practice, so we will do that. We will base our new CDTracks style on the Default Paragraph
Style.
1) Start by clicking the Paragraph Styles icon on the Styles deck of the Sidebar. Then right-
click on the Default Paragraph Style in the list box and choose New.
2) On the Organizer tab of the Paragraph Style tab, type CDTracks in the Name box and
optionally set the Next style to be CDTracks.
3) On the Outline & List tab (Figure 301), choose CDTrack in the Numbering style drop-
down list.
4) Click OK to save the new paragraph style.

Chapter 12, Lists | 291

 Figure 301: Selecting a numbering style for the new paragraph style

Applying the CDTracks paragraph style

Now that the list style and paragraph style are available, they can be quickly applied to any list in
the document.
1) If you are starting a new list, before pressing Enter to start a new line, double-click the
desired paragraph style name in the Styles deck on the Sidebar. At the end of the list,
press Enter, then double-click the paragraph style (on the Styles deck) you want for the
rest of the text.
2) If you already have a list, select it and then double-click the desired paragraph style name
on the Styles deck.
If you have more than one list in a document, the second and subsequent lists with the same
paragraph style continue their numbering from the previous list. To restart at 1, place the cursor
anywhere in the paragraph you want numbered 1, right-click, and choose List > Restart
numbering in the context menu.

Figure 302: A numbered list of CD tracks created from the

settings in Figures 300 and 301

292 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 13,
Tables
Introduction
Tables are a useful way to organize and present large amounts of information, for example:
• Technical, financial, or statistical reports.
• Catalogs showing descriptions, prices, characteristics, and photographs of products.
• Bills or invoices.
• Lists of names with address, age, profession, and other information.
Tables can often be used as an alternative to spreadsheets to organize materials. A well-
designed table can help readers understand better what you are saying. While you would
normally use tables for text or numbers, you could put other objects, such as pictures, in cells.
Writer’s tables provide limited spreadsheet functions; see “Using spreadsheet functions in a
table” on page 357.
Tables can also be used as a page-layout tool to position text in areas of a document instead of
using several Tab characters. Another example is in headers and footers to support independent
positioning of different elements, such as page number, document title, and so on. This use of
tables is described in Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced.

Tools for working with tables

All of the table commands described in this chapter are conveniently located under Table on the
Menu bar (Figure 303) and on the Table toolbar (Figure 304). Some are also found in the context
menu for a table or in the Table panel of the Properties deck in the Sidebar (Figure 305).

Figure 303: The Table menu

294 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

When you create a table or select an existing table, the Table toolbar (Figure 304) is displayed
automatically. You can manually display it at any time by clicking View > Toolbars > Table. The
toolbar can float over the main Writer window, or it can be docked along any edge of the main
window. See Chapter 1, Introducing Writer, for more about docking and floating toolbars, and
how to hide and display specific tools on a toolbar.

Figure 304: The Table toolbar

1 Rows Above 12 Split Table 23 Number Format: Percent
2 Rows Below 13 Optimize Size 24 Number Format: Decimal
3 Columns Before 14 Align Top 25 Number Format
4 Columns After 15 Center Vertically 26 Insert Caption
5 Delete selected rows 16 Align Bottom 27 Sort
6 Delete selected columns 17 Table Cell Background Color 28 Protect Cells
7 Delete table 18 AutoFormat Styles 29 Unprotect Cells
8 Select Cell 19 Borders 30 Sum
9 Select Table 20 Border Style 31 Insert Text Formula
10 Merge Cells 21 Border Color 32 Table Properties
11 Split Cells 22 Number Format: Currency

When the cursor is in a table, the Properties deck in the Sidebar (Figure 305) includes table
properties.

Figure 305: Table properties in Sidebar

Chapter 13, Tables | 295

Creating a table
Before you create a table in a Writer document, it helps to have an idea of the visual result you
want and an estimate of the number of rows and columns required. Every parameter can be
changed at a later stage; however, thinking ahead can save time as changes to fully formatted
tables often require a significant effort.

Creating a new table

To quickly create a table with the default properties, click the Insert Table icon on the Standard
toolbar. On the drop-down graphic, choose the size of the table (up to fifteen rows and up to ten
columns). To create the table, click the cell that you want to be on the last row of the last column.

Figure 306: Inserting a table

To create a new table and specify the properties for the table, position the cursor where you want
the table to appear, then use any of the following methods to open the Insert Table dialog:
• Choose Table > Insert Table on the Menu bar.
• Press Ctrl+F12.
• On the Standard toolbar, click the Insert Table icon and select More Options at the
bottom of the drop-down graphic.
In the General section of the Insert Table dialog (Figure 307), in the Name box, you can enter a
different name from the Writer-generated default for the table. This might come in handy when
using the Navigator to jump quickly to a table.
In the Columns and Rows boxes, specify the number of columns and rows for the new table. You
can change the size of the table later, if necessary.

296 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 307: Insert Table dialog

Under Options, set up the initial table characteristics:

• Heading — Enables a heading to be used in the table and defines the number of rows to
be used as headings. A second (and, occasionally, third) heading row can be useful for
sub-headings in a complex table.
The default Table Heading paragraph style is applied to the heading rows. You can edit
the Table Heading paragraph style to change these default settings.
• Repeat heading rows on new pages — Enables the heading rows to be repeated at the
top of subsequent pages if the table spans more than one page.
• Heading rows — Specifies the number of rows to be used for the heading. Default is 1.
• Don’t split table over pages — Prevents the table from spanning more than one page.
This can be useful if the table starts near the end of a page, and would look better if it
were completely located on the following page. If the table starts earlier on the page but
does not all fit, this setting can lead to awkward page breaks. If the table becomes longer
than would fit on one page, either deselect this option or manually split the table.
The Styles section lists several predefined table layouts, also known as table styles. See
“Creating and applying table styles” on page 352 for more information. You can select and
preview the desired table option from the list.
After making your choices, click Insert. Writer creates a table as wide as the text area (from the
left page margin to the right page margin), with all columns the same width and all rows the same
height. You can adjust the columns and rows later to suit your needs.

Chapter 13, Tables | 297

Creating nested tables
You can create tables within tables, nested to a depth limited only by imagination and practicality.
Nested tables are especially useful for page layout. Figure 308 demonstrates a simple, two-level
example. The shaded table is inside a cell of the larger table. To achieve this, simply click in a cell
of an existing table and use any of the methods mentioned in “Creating a new table” above.

Figure 308: Nested table example

Using AutoCorrect to create a table

You can also create a table by typing a series of hyphens (-) or tabs separated by plus signs. Use
the plus signs to indicate column dividers, while hyphens and tabs are used to indicate the width
of a column. When using tabs, the default tab setting determines the width; this setting can be
changed in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > General.
For example, this character sequence:
+-----------------+---------------+------+
creates a table like this:

Note
This function can be disabled or enabled in Tools > AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect
Options. On the Options page, deselect or select Create table.

Creating a table from formatted text

You can create a table from formatted text by using Table > Convert > Text to Table on the
Menu bar. The text to be converted must contain characters to indicate column separators.
Paragraph marks indicate an end of a table row.

Tip
Unlike the creation of a table by other methods, conversion from text to table
preserves the paragraph style and character style applied to the original text.

1) Start by editing the text, if necessary, to ensure the column separator character is where
you want it. Select the text you want to convert and choose Table > Convert > Text to
Table to open the dialog shown in Figure 309.
2) The Separate text at section has four options for the separator for the columns of text.
Select Other to choose the default comma (useful if you are importing a .csv file) or type
any character in the box.
The Options are the same as those in the Insert Table dialog (Figure 307).
3) Click OK to convert the text.

298 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 309: Dialog for text to table conversion

Example
In this example we will convert the following text into a table.
Row 1 Column 1; Row 1 Column 2; Row 1 Column 3
Row 2 Column 1; Row 2 Column 2; Row 2 Column 3
In this case, the separator between elements is a semicolon. Select the text and choose Table >
Convert > Text to Table. We obtain the following result.

Tip
You can also perform the opposite operation, to transform a table into plain text. This
may be useful when you want to export the table contents into a different program.
To transform a table into text, place the cursor anywhere in the table, choose Table >
Convert > Table to Text on the Menu bar, pick the preferred row separator, and click
OK to finish.

Inserting a portion of a spreadsheet

To copy a spreadsheet area into a Writer document as a Writer table:
1) Open both the Writer document and the spreadsheet.
2) Select the sheet area (cells) that you want to copy.
3) Right-click and choose Copy in the context menu, or press Ctrl+C; then click in the
Writer document and choose Paste in the context menu or press Ctrl+V. Or, drag the
area into the Writer document.
See also Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects, for other methods of inserting
spreadsheets into Writer documents.

Chapter 13, Tables | 299

Formatting the table layout
Formatting a table is a two-step process: formatting the table layout (the subject of this section)
and formatting the table text (the subject of the next section).

Tip
If you apply similar formatting of table layout and table text to multiple tables, using
table styles can speed up your work and provide consistency. See “Creating and
applying table styles” on page 352.

Formatting the layout normally involves one or more of the following operations: adjusting the
size of the table and its position on the page, adjusting sizes of rows and columns, adding or
removing rows or columns, merging and splitting individual cells, changing borders and
background.

Default parameters
If you create a table using the Insert Table dialog or the Insert Table icon on the Standard toolbar,
the following defaults are set:
• The cells use the Table Contents paragraph style. In the default template, this style is
identical to the Default Paragraph Style.
• The default table occupies all the space from margin to margin (text area).
• The default table has thin black borders around each cell (grid).
• If you activate the Heading option, the cells in the heading row (or rows) use the Table
Heading paragraph style.

Resizing and positioning the table

Using the default settings, any newly created table will occupy the entire width of the text area.
This is sometimes what you want, or you may prefer a smaller table. To quickly resize a table,
first move the mouse pointer to either the left or right edge. When the pointer changes shape into
a double arrow, drag the border to the new position. This operation only changes the size of the
first or last column; it does not change the alignment of the table on the page.
For more precise control over the size and position of the table on the page, open the Table
Properties dialog (Figure 310) by choosing Table > Properties or by right-clicking anywhere in
the table and choosing Table Properties in the context menu.

Figure 310: Table Properties dialog: Table tab

300 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

On the Table tab of the dialog (Figure 310), you can set the alignment of the table:
• Automatic: the default setting for a table, fills the width of the text area.
• Left: aligns the table with the left margin.
• Right: aligns the table with the right margin.
• From Left: lets you specify under Spacing exactly how far from the left margin the table
is placed.
• Center: aligns the table in the middle between the left and right margins. If the table
width is greater than the margin, the table will extend outside of the margins.
• Manual: lets you specify the distances from both left and right margins under Spacing.
Selecting an alignment option other than Automatic activates the Width field in the Properties
section, where you can enter the desired size of the table. Select Relative to see the width as
percentage of the text area.
In the Spacing section, use the Above and Below boxes to modify the separation between the
text and the table.
When the size of the table is less than the size of the text area, Writer will insert some values in
the Left and Right boxes. Otherwise these values are not available. You can enter values:
• In both the Left and Right boxes if you select Manual alignment.
• In the Left box when you select the From left, Right, or Center alignment.
• In the Right box if you select Left alignment.

Specifying text flow

On the Text Flow tab of the Table Properties dialog (Figure 311), you can:
• Insert a page or column break either before or after the table. Use the Text Flow: Break
option, combined with the Page or Column and the Before or After options. If you insert
a page break before the table (that is, start the table on a new page), you can also
change the page style that will go with it by selecting With Page Style and a new page
style. As with any page break, you can also reset the page numbers using the Page
number box.
• Keep a table on one page by deselecting Allow table to split across pages and
columns. If this item is deselected, the next item is not active.
• Keep each row on one page by deselecting Allow row to break across pages and
columns.
• Use Keep with next paragraph to keep the table and an immediately following
paragraph together if you insert a page break.
• Use Repeat heading, and its associated numbers box, to select the number of table
heading rows that will be repeated on each page. A complicated table may need two or
three heading rows to be easily read and understood.
• Use the Text orientation list to select the direction for the text in the cells. Select from
Horizontal, Vertical (top to bottom), Vertical (bottom to top), or Use superordinate object
settings (meaning use the default text flow settings for the page).
• Select the vertical alignment of the text in the table or the selected cells; the choices are
to align with the top of the cell, the center of the cell, or the bottom of the cell. This
alignment is in addition to the Left-Right alignment options available on the Table tab of
the Table Properties dialog.

Chapter 13, Tables | 301

 Note
A table heading row cannot span two pages, but any other row can. A one-row table
(often used for page layout purposes), if set up with the default of including a
heading, will not break across pages. The solution is to make sure the table is
defined without a heading row.

Figure 311: Table Properties dialog: Text Flow tab

Resizing rows and columns

You can adjust the height of rows and the width of columns in a table in several ways.
• Move the mouse pointer next to the edge of the cell and when a double-headed arrow
appears, click and hold the left mouse button, drag the border to the desired position,
and release the mouse button.
• On the horizontal ruler, column dividers are marked by a pair of thin gray lines; the
vertical ruler indicates row dividers in the same way. You can resize a row or column by
holding the mouse button down on the appropriate divider and dragging it to the desired
location.
• Use the keyboard as described below.
Selecting Table > Size on the Menu bar also offers some resizing options:
• Select Column Width or Row Height to enter a dimension into the size box for each
selectable column or row of the table.
• The Minimize Column Width or Minimize Row Height options make the selected columns
or rows as narrow as possible while still fitting their contents. The rows or columns may
not all be the same height or width.
• The Optimal Column Width or Optimal Row Height options make the selected columns or
rows fit the largest character in any row or the longest entry in any column.
• Use Distribute Columns/Rows Evenly to quickly bring them back to all being the same
width or height.
For greater control over the width of each column, use the Columns tab of the Table Properties
dialog.

302 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 312: Table Properties dialog: Columns tab
Right-click on the table and choose Table Properties in the context menu, or choose Table >
Properties on the Menu bar, or click the More Options icon in the Table panel of the Properties
deck on the Sidebar. On the Table Properties dialog, select the Columns tab.
• Adapt table width: If a table already stretches to the page margins, it cannot stretch any
wider and the Adapt table width option can only be used to reduce the column width. If
the table is narrower, increasing the width of a column will increase the width of the
whole table. This option is not available if Automatic has been selected in the Alignment
area of the Table tab.
• If the table width already extends past the margins, with the Adapt table width option
checked, attempting to change a column width will automatically decrease that column’s
size so that the table will now shrink to the page margins while keeping the size of any
other column intact.
• Adjust columns proportionally results in all columns changing their widths by the same
percentage when one is changed. For example, if you reduce by half the size of a
column, the sizes of all the other columns will be halved. This option is not available if
Automatic has been selected in the Alignment area of the Table tab.
• Remaining space shows how much further the table can expand before hitting the limit
of the margins. This value cannot be edited and will not be negative in the event that the
table width is already larger than the space between the left and right margins.
• Under Column width, each individual column can be adjusted. If you have more than six
columns, use the arrows at the right and left to view them all. With no options selected,
the column to the right of the one being adjusted will automatically change to keep the
table width constant. Adjusting the most right hand column causes the first column to
change.

Tip
Rather than starting from the Table Properties dialog, it is often more efficient to
make rough adjustments to a new table using the mouse, and then fine-tune the
layout using the Columns tab and the Table tab of the Table Properties dialog.

You can also resize a table using the keyboard. This is sometimes easier than using the mouse.
1) Place the cursor in the cell where you want to make changes.
2) Press and hold the Alt key while using the arrow keys.
– The left and right arrow keys adjust the column width by moving the border on the
right edge of the cell, but not past the margin.
– The up and down arrows adjust the row height (when possible) by moving the border
on the lower edge of the cell.

Chapter 13, Tables | 303

To adjust the resizing parameters and behavior for keyboard handling, choose Tools > Options
> LibreOffice Writer > Table (Figure 313).

Figure 313: Choosing keyboard handling of table columns and rows

Use the Row and Column values in the Move cells section to determine the amount of change
produced by a single keystroke while resizing. In the Behavior of rows/columns section, you can
choose one of three strategies when resizing:
• Fixed: the resizing will affect only the adjacent cell and not the entire table. The width of
the table does not change when resizing its cells.
• Fixed, proportional: when resizing a cell, all the other cells are also resized
proportionally, but in the opposite direction so as to maintain the width of the table.
• Variable: resizing a cell affects the table size. For example, when you widen a cell, the
width of the table increases. This is the default option.

Inserting rows and columns

To quickly insert one row or column, place the cursor in the row or column before or after which
you want to add new rows or columns, and then do one of the following:
• Click the Rows Above or Rows Below icons on the Table toolbar or the Table panel of
the Properties deck on the Sidebar to insert one row above or below the selected one.
• Click the Columns Before or Columns After icons on the Table toolbar or the Table
panel of the Properties deck on the Sidebar to insert one column before or after the
selected one.
• Choose Table > Insert > Rows Above/Below or Table > Insert > Columns
Before/After on the Menu bar.
• Right-click and choose Insert > Rows Above/Below or Insert > Columns Before/After
in the context menu.
To insert any number of rows or columns:
1) Place the cursor in the row or column where you want to add new rows or columns.
2) Choose Table > Insert > Rows or Table > Insert > Columns on the Menu bar, or right-
click and choose Insert > Rows or Insert > Columns in the context menu.
3) In the small dialog that opens, select the number of rows or columns to add, and whether
they appear before or after the one selected. Set Number to the number of rows or
columns to insert, and Position to Before or After.
4) Click OK to close the dialog.

304 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Note
Regardless of how they are inserted, new rows or columns have the same formatting
as the row or column where the cursor was located.

Deleting rows and columns

To quickly delete one or more rows or columns, select the rows or columns you want to delete
and do one of the following:
• Click the Delete selected rows or Delete selected columns icons on the Table toolbar
or the Table panel of the Properties deck on the Sidebar.
• Right-click and choose Delete > Rows or Delete > Columns.
• Choose Table > Delete > Rows or Table > Delete > Columns on the Menu bar.

Merging and splitting cells

A common use for merging cells is to make a heading row that takes up the entire width of the
table, or a subheading row over more than one column.
To merge a cell or group of cells into one cell:
1) Select the cells to merge.
2) Right-click and choose Merge Cells in the context menu, or choose Table > Merge Cells
from the Menu bar, or click the Merge Cells icon on the Table toolbar or the Table panel
of the Properties deck on the Sidebar. Any content of the cells appears in the merged cell.
To split a cell into multiple cells:
1) Position the cursor inside the cell.
2) Right-click and choose Split Cells in the context menu, or choose Table > Split Cells on
the Menu bar, or click the Split Cells icon on the Table toolbar or the Table panel of the
Properties deck on the Sidebar.
3) On the Split Cells dialog, select how to split the cell and how many cells to create. A cell
can be split either horizontally (create more rows) or vertically (create more columns).

Figure 314: Split Cells dialog

It is generally best to merge and split cells after completing other layout formatting. This is
because some operations such as deleting a column or a row may produce a result difficult to
predict when applied to a table with merged or split cells.

Chapter 13, Tables | 305

Specifying table borders
You can quickly apply some table borders using the palette of options on the Borders, Border
Style, and Border color icons in the Table toolbar or the Table panel of the Properties deck on
the Sidebar. For more control, use the Borders tab of the Table Properties dialog (Figure 315).

Figure 315: Table Properties dialog: Borders page

• Line arrangement specifies where the borders go. If a group of cells is selected, the
border will be applied only to those cells. You can specify individually the style of the
border for the outside edges of the selected cells and for the cell divisions. Writer
provides default arrangements, but you can click the line you want to customize in the
User-defined area to get exactly what you want. When multiple cells are selected, you
can select the edges of the selection as well as the cell dividers.

Note
When the selected cells have different styles of border, the User-defined area shows
the border as a gray line. You can click the gray line to choose a new border style
(first click), leave the border as it is (second click) or delete the border (third click).

• Line specifies what the border looks like. You can choose from the drop-down lists for
Style and Color, and specify a Width. Your selections apply to those borders highlighted
by a pair of black arrows in the User-defined area.
• Padding specifies how much space to leave between the border and the cell contents.
Spacing can be specified individually for the left, right, top, and bottom borders. Choose
Synchronize to have the same spacing on all four sides.
• Shadow Style properties always apply to the whole table. A shadow has three
components: where it is (position), how far from the table it is cast (distance), and what
color it is.
• If Merge adjacent line styles (under Properties) is checked, two cells sharing a common
border will have their borders merged, rather than being side by side or above/below
each other.

306 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
To reset everything if you are having problems with borders, right-click in the table
and choose Table Properties or choose Table > Properties on the Menu bar. On
the Borders tab, select the Set No Borders icon under Line arrangement Presets
(the box on the left).

Selecting background colors and images

A table background can greatly improve the readability of data, visually highlight important parts
of the table (such as the heading or a specific cell), or just make the table more appealing. You
can choose between two types of background: solid color or image. The background can be
applied to the whole table, to a single cell, or to a row.
You can quickly apply color cell backgrounds using the palette of options on the Table Cell
Background Color icon in the Table toolbar or the Table panel of the Properties deck on the
Sidebar. For more control, or to use an image as a background, use the Background tab of the
Table Properties dialog (Figure 316).

Figure 316: Table Properties dialog: inserting an image as a background

Tip
You need to consider the color contrast between the background and foreground
(usually text). Background colors and images can also have transparency applied to
help make the text more readable.
The row background option is quite handy when you want to create alternate color
rows or assign a different background to the heading of the table.

Chapter 13, Tables | 307

 Note
The background selected for a cell will be in front of the row background which in
turn will be in front of (and hide) the table background.

To set the background for a cell, row, or table:

1) Place the cursor anywhere inside the cell, row, or table you want to work with. If you want
to apply a background to a group of cells, select the group.
2) Right-click and choose Table Properties in the context menu, or choose Table >
Properties on the Menu bar, or click the More Options icon on the Table panel of the
Properties deck on the Sidebar.
3) In the Table Properties dialog, select the Background tab (Figure 316).
4) Choose whether to apply the settings to cell, row, or table.
– Cell: changes apply only to the selected cells, or the cell where the cursor currently
resides. Even when a group of cells is selected, the background settings are applied
to each cell individually.
– Row: changes affect the entire row where the cursor resides.
– Table: changes will set the background for the entire table, regardless of the cursor
position or selected cells.
5) To apply a color, click the Color button, select the color, and click OK.
To apply an image, click the Image button. Then,
a) Select from the given images or use the Add/Import button.
b) Under Options, select the type of placement for the image.
Style – select the way the image is to appear: custom position/size, tiled, or
stretched.
Size – select the required Image aspect ratio or the Scale option.
Position – select where the image is to be displayed.
c) To apply the image, click OK.

Displaying or hiding table boundaries

A table boundary is a set of pale (usually gray) lines around the cells when viewed on-screen in
LibreOffice with no borders enabled. These boundaries are not printed; their only function is to
help you see where the table cells are. They are particularly useful when using tables for page
layout.
To display tables the same way on the screen as on the printed page, with no boundary lines,
deselect View > Table Boundaries, or go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Application
Colors, where you can display or hide boundaries around text, tables, headers and footers,
figures, and other parts of a document, and you can choose the color of boundary lines.
Turning boundaries off does not hide any borders that the table may have.

Creating and applying table styles

Using table styles, you can apply an elaborate format to your table with just a few clicks. Like
other styles, table styles enable you to produce consistent looking tables in a document.

308 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Applying a table style
To apply a table style, go to the Table Styles tab of the Styles deck on the Sidebar. Then place
the cursor anywhere in the table and double-click the name of a style.
For more control, go to Table > AutoFormat Styles on the Menu bar, or click the AutoFormat
Styles icon on the Table toolbar. On the AutoFormat dialog (FIgure 317), select a format from the
list, choose which features you wish to use in your table (font, alignment, borders, and so on),
and then click OK. The table will be reformatted.

Figure 317: Table AutoFormat dialog

Tip
You can rename the formats by selecting one and clicking the Rename button. The
name will change in this dialog and in the Table Styles page on the sidebar.
You can delete a format by selecting it and clicking the Delete button. However, you
cannot rename or delete the Default Table Style.

Creating a table style

Although the Table Styles tab of the Sidebar’s Styles deck includes a quick way to apply table
styles, they are created by using the AutoFormat feature. Follow these steps:
1) Create a table. Format it as you wish: font, alignment, borders, background, number
format.
2) Put the cursor anywhere in the table. Select Table > AutoFormat Styles on the Menu
bar, or click the AutoFormat Styles icon on the Table toolbar.
3) On the AutoFormat dialog (Figure 317), choose which features you wish to include in the
new table style, and then click Add.
4) In the pop-up dialog, type a name for the new style and click OK. The new style is added
to the list of formats in the AutoFormat dialog and to the list of table styles in the Styles
deck in the sidebar.
Table styles also include the following table-level properties:
• Break
• Keep with next paragraph
• Repeat heading

Chapter 13, Tables | 309

 • Allow table to split across pages
• Allow rows to break across pages
• Merge adjacent line styles
• Table shadow

Tip
These styles do not include table and column widths in the table format. To insert a
table with predefined full formatting, save it as AutoText. See Chapter 2, Working
with Text: Basics, for instructions.

Formatting the table text

Once the table layout is set, you can move on to formatting the text in the individual cells. You
can apply manual formatting as with any other paragraph in the text, but it is highly
recommended that you use paragraph and character styles, for consistency and ease of
maintenance. Other aspects to consider include text flow, alignment, and orientation.
You can format each cell independently of other cells, or you can simultaneously format a group
of cells by selecting them before applying the desired formatting.

Tip
You can apply basic table text formatting by choosing a table style and then modify
only those cells that you wish to be different.

Vertical alignment
By default, text entered into a table is aligned to the top-left of the cell. You can change the
default for the entire table, as described above, or for individually selected cells.
To vertically align the text in specific cells:
1) Place the cursor in the cell you wish to change, or select multiple cells.
2) Click an icon on the Table toolbar: Align Top, Center Vertically, or Align Bottom.

Number formats
The number format can be set for a whole table, a group of cells, or a single cell. For example,
cells can be set to display in a particular currency, to four decimal places, or in a particular date
format.
Number recognition specifies that numbers in a text table are recognized and formatted as
numbers. If Number recognition is not selected, numbers are saved in text format and are
automatically left-aligned. To enable Number recognition, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice
Writer > Table and select the option in the Input in Tables section.
To set the number format for one or more cells, select the cells, then either click the icon for one
of the popular formats on the Table toolbar, or choose Table > Number Format on the Menu bar.
On the Format Number dialog (Figure 318), you can set options for various categories of
numerical data.
• In the Category list, select the category you want, such as currency, date, or text.
• In the Format list, choose a format for the category you just selected.

310 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 • For some categories, such as Date, you may wish to change the language using the
Language list, while for other numerical categories you can use the Options section of
the dialog to customize the appearance.

Tip
Writer displays the formatting code for the category and format selected in Format
Code section at the bottom of the dialog. For example, if you select a date format
such as 31 Dec 1999 the corresponding code is D MMM YYYY. Advanced users can
easily customize this formatting code as well as create new user-defined codes.

Figure 318: The Format Number dialog

Rotating text in a table cell

You can rotate text in a table cell by 90 or 270 degrees. Text rotation can be useful when you
have long headings for narrow columns.
• Select the text to be rotated and then choose Format > Character, or right-click and
select Character > Character in the context menu.
• On the Position tab, in the Rotation / Scaling section, choose the rotation angle,
optionally change the Scale width, and click OK.

Note
Text rotation within table cells can also be achieved with the use of paragraph styles,
discussed in Chapter 9, Working with Styles.

Data entry and manipulation in tables

Moving between cells
Within a table, you can use the mouse, the arrow keys, or the Tab key to move between cells.
The arrow keys move the cursor one text character left or right at a time. If a cell is empty,
pressing the arrow key will move the cursor to the adjacent cell.
The Tab key moves directly to the next cell and, if the cursor is in the last cell in the table, creates
a new row. Pressing Shift+Tab moves the cursor back a cell.

Chapter 13, Tables | 311

 Tip
To enter a Tab character as part of the text of the cell, press the Ctrl and Tab keys
at the same time.

To move to the beginning of the table, press Ctrl+Home. If the active cell is empty, the move is to
the beginning of the table. If the cell has content, the first press goes to the beginning of the cell
and the next press goes to the beginning of the table. (Pressing again takes you to the beginning
of the document.)
To move to the end of the table, press Ctrl+End. If the active cell is empty, the move is to the
end of the table. If the cell has content, the first press goes to the end of the cell and the next
press goes to the end of the table. (Pressing again takes you to the end of the document.)

Sorting data in a table

Just as in a spreadsheet, data in a table can be sorted. You can specify up to three levels of
sorting (for example, sort first by age numerically, then alphabetically by name within each age).
To sort data in a table:
1) Select the table (or part of the table) to be sorted.
2) Choose Table > Sort on the Menu bar, or click the Sort icon on the Table toolbar.
3) In the Sort dialog (Figure 319):
a) Decide whether you want to sort in the direction of rows or columns. The default
sorting direction is by rows, which results in sorting the data in a column.
b) Select up to three keys to sort on, in the correct order.
c) For each key, select which column or row to sort on, whether the sort is Numeric or
Alphanumeric and whether it is Ascending or Descending.
d) Click OK to perform the sort.

Figure 319: Selecting criteria for sorting

312 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Note
You have to select all cells that might be affected by the sorting. For example, if you
select only the cells of one column, the sort affects that column only, while the others
remain unchanged. In such a case, you risk mixing the data of the rows.

Using spreadsheet functions in a table

For many simple mathematical functions, Writer tables can be used as basic spreadsheets. Just
as in a spreadsheet, each table cell is identified by a letter (for the column) and a number (for the
row). For example, cell C4 is the cell in the third column from the left and fourth row from the top.
When the cursor is in a cell, the table name and this cell reference is displayed on the status bar.

Tip
Basic spreadsheet functions in tables are much the same as in LibreOffice Calc.
The main difference is that cell references are formatted differently. Cell A2 (first
column, second row) is referred to in Calc as A2 (or $A$2 for an absolute reference).
In Writer tables, it is referred to as <A2>.

For example, suppose you had two numbers in cells <B1> and <C2> and wanted to display the
sum of the two in cell <A1>, as shown in Figure 320.
Do the following to sum up 4 and 5:
1) Click in cell <A1> and press the = key, or choose Table > Formula on the Menu bar, or
press F2, or click the Sum icon or the Formula icon on the Table toolbar, or click the
Formula icon in the Table panel of the Properties deck on the Sidebar.
The Formula bar appears automatically at the top of the workspace. In the leftmost side
of the bar, you can see the coordinates of the selected cell.
2) Click in cell <B1>. The identifiers of this cell are automatically displayed in the Formula
bar and inserted into cell <A1>.
3) Press the + key.
4) Click in cell <C2>. You can see the final formula = <B1>+<C2> displayed both in the
selected cell and on the Object bar.
5) Press the Enter key, or click the green check mark (may be a different symbol on some
installations) on the Formula Bar, to replace the formula in the cell with the result of the
calculation.

Figure 320: Using spreadsheet functions in a table

Chapter 13, Tables | 313

 Tip
To display a cell's formula and make it available for editing, choose Table > Formula
on the Menu bar, or use one of the other methods above.
To display the list of the mathematical functions available for use in a table, display
the Formula toolbar and then click the Formula f(x) icon.

In our example, this gives the result 9 in the top left cell. For summing contiguous cells, you can
simply select the cells in the row, column, or the rectangle of rows and columns. Thus, for
example, to add a column of numbers, do this:
1) Type an equals sign = in an empty cell.
2) Select the cells to be added together, in this case the cells from A2 to A5. The formula
should be something like =<A2:A5>.
3) Press the Enter key or click the green check mark on the Formula Bar.
4) The result appears in the empty cell where you entered the formula.
When using a function, you can type the cell references manually or select them. Thus, to add up
the four numbers that we added above (A2, A3, A4, A5), do this:
1) Type an equals sign = in an empty cell.
2) Type sum or select it from the function list f(x).
3) Select the contiguous cells to be added together. The formula should be something like
=sum<A2:A5>.
4) Press the Enter key or click the green check mark on the Formula Bar. The answer
appears in the empty cell where you entered the formula.

Caution
In Writer, formulas are not updated automatically when inserting or deleting rows or
columns of the table, although the results do update when you change a value in a
cell. If you plan to use complex formulas, consider embedding a Calc spreadsheet in
the Writer document. See Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects.

Additional table operations

Protecting cells in a table
You can protect the contents of individual cells of a table from changes. When a cell is protected,
most of the menu items and toolbar icons are inactivated.

Note
This protection is not intended for secure protection. It protects the cells against
accidental changes.

To turn on cell protection, place the cursor in a cell or select cells, then click the Protect Cells
icon on the Table toolbar or choose Table > Protect Cells on the Menu bar.
To tun off cell protection, place the cursor in the cell or select the cells. Then click the Unprotect
Cells icon on the Table toolbar or choose Table > Unprotect Cells on the Menu bar.
To remove protection for the entire current table or all selected tables, press Shift+Ctrl+T.

314 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
If you cannot place the cursor in a protected cell, you need to enable the cursor.
Choose Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Formatting Aids and in the
Protected Areas section mark Enable cursor.

Adding a caption
You can easily add a caption to any table. Writer will keep track of all your captioned tables,
automatically number them, and update any links to them. To add a caption to a table:
1) Right-click anywhere in the table and select Insert Caption in the context menu, or
choose Insert > Caption on the Menu bar, or click the Insert Caption icon on the Table
toolbar.
2) Under Properties on the Caption dialog, make your selections for the Category (it defaults
to Table, which is usually what you want), Numbering, and Separator fields. The position
of the caption defaults to above a table; you can change this if necessary.
3) Type your caption text in the text box at the top of the dialog.
4) Click OK.
You can also set up Writer to add captions to tables automatically. The procedure is the same as
for adding captions automatically to images, described in Chapter 11.

Cross-referencing to a table
You can insert a cross-reference to a captioned table. Clicking on the cross-reference takes the
reader directly to the table. For details, see Chapter 17, Fields.

Splitting a table
One table can be split into two tables, and two tables can be merged into a single table. Tables
are split horizontally: the rows above the split point are put into one table, and the rows below
into another. To split a table:
1) Place the cursor in a cell that will be in the top row of the second table after the split (the
table splits immediately above the cursor).
2) Choose Table > Split Table on the Menu bar or click the Split Table icon on the Table
toolbar.
3) A Split Table dialog opens, where you can choose how to handle heading rows.
4) Click OK. The table is then split into two tables separated by a blank paragraph.

Note
If cells in one table include formulas using data from the other table, those cells will
contain an error message: **Expression is faulty**.

Merging tables
To merge two tables:
1) Delete the blank paragraph between the tables. You must use the Delete key (not the
Backspace key) to do this.
2) Select any cell in one of the tables.
3) Choose Table > Merge Table from the Menu bar.

Chapter 13, Tables | 315

 Tip
To see clearly where the paragraphs are and to delete them easily, choose View >
Formatting Marks (Ctrl+F10) or click the ¶ icon in the Standard toolbar.

Deleting a table
To delete a table, do any of the following:
• Right-click anywhere in the table and choose Delete > Table in the context menu.
• Click anywhere in the table and choose Table > Delete > Table on the Menu bar.
• Select from the end of the paragraph before the table to the start of the paragraph after
the table, and then press the Delete key or the Backspace key.

Note
The third method also merges the paragraph after the table with the paragraph
before the table, which may not be what you want.

Copying a table
To copy a table from one part of the document and paste it into another part:
1) Select the table.
2) Press Ctrl+C or click the Copy icon on the Standard toolbar.
3) Click where you want the table to be copied.
4) Press Ctrl+V or click the Paste icon on the Standard toolbar.

Moving a table
To move a table from one part of a document to another part:
1) Select the table.
2) Press Ctrl+X or click the Cut icon on the Standard toolbar.
3) Click where you want the table to be moved.
4) Press Ctrl+V or click the Paste icon on the Standard toolbar. This pastes the cells and
their contents and formatting.

Inserting a paragraph before or after a table

To insert a paragraph before a table, position the cursor before any text or other contents in the
first (upper left-hand) cell and press Alt+Enter. To insert a paragraph after a table, position the
cursor after any text in the last (lower right-hand) cell and press Alt+Enter.

Using tables as a page layout tool

Tables may be used as a page layout tool to position text in a document instead of using tabs or
spaces. For more information and tips about using tables in page layout, see Chapter 6,
Formatting Pages: Advanced.

316 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 14,
Mail Merge
Form Letters, Mailing Labels, and Envelopes
What is mail merge?
Writer’s mail merge provides features to create and print multiple copies of one item (such as
return address labels, promotional stickers, or t-shirt transfers) or to produce copies that include
variable information (for example names, addresses, and amounts due):
• Form letters (a document to send to a list of recipients)
• Mailing labels, labels for physical file folders, and similar purposes
• Envelopes
Variable data is typically derived from a data source, as discussed below. If all output is to be the
same (for example, return address labels), the merge can use manually entered text or images.
This chapter describes the mail merge process. The steps include:
1) Create and register a data source.
2) Create and print form letters, mailing labels, and envelopes.
3) Optionally, save the output in an editable file instead of printing it directly.

Creating and registering an address data source

An address data source is a database containing the name and address records from which
mailing labels and envelopes can be derived. LibreOffice can create the database from
spreadsheets, text files including Writer documents, and databases such as MySQL. If the
information to be used in the mail merge is currently in a format that LibreOffice cannot access
directly, you need to convert it, for example by exporting to a comma-separated values (CSV) file.
For a data source to be directly accessible from within a Writer document, it must be registered.
You need to do this only once.
1) From within a Writer document, or from the LibreOffice Start Center, choose File >
Wizards > Address Data Source.
2) The choices on the first page of the wizard (Figure 321) vary with your operating system.
Select the appropriate type of external address book. For a spreadsheet, it is Other
external data source. Depending on your choice, the list of steps on the left may
change. Click Next.

Figure 321: Select type of external address book

3) On the next page of the Wizard (Figure 322), click on the Settings button.

318 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 322: Starting the Settings part of the Wizard
4) On the Create Address Data Source page (Figure 323), select the Database type. In our
example, it is Spreadsheet. Click Next.

Figure 323: Selecting the database type

5) On the next page (Figure 324), click Browse and navigate to the spreadsheet that
contains the address information. Select the spreadsheet and click Open to return to this
dialog.

Figure 324: Selecting the spreadsheet document

6) To test that the connection has been correctly established, click the Test Connection
button in the lower right of the dialog (not shown in Figure 324). You should get the
message The connection was established successfully; otherwise, you will get an error
message.
7) Click Finish.
8) On the next page (Figure 325), click Next. You do not need to click the Field Assignment
button. (When you are using the Mail Merge Wizard, you may need to do the Field
Assignment step; see page 379.)

Chapter 14, Mail Merge | 319

 Figure 325: For a spreadsheet, do not click the Field Assignment button
9) On the Data Source Title page (Figure 326), the name and location of the new database
(.odb) is shown in the Location field. You can change this name or store the database file
in a different location; deselect Embed this address book definition into the current
document, then click Browse to choose the location and name the file.
You can also change the name in the Address book name field. This is the registered
name, which LibreOffice displays in data source listings. In our example, the name
Addresses was used for both.

Figure 326: Name the file and the address book

10) Click Finish. The data source is now registered.

Creating a form letter

You can create a form letter manually—the simplest and most comprehensive method, which is
described here—or you can use the Mail Merge wizard starting on page 375.
1) Create a new Writer document (File > New > Text Document) or open an existing form
letter with File > Open.

320 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

2) Display the registered data sources: View > Data Sources (or press Shift+Ctrl+F4).
3) Find the data source that you wish to use for the form letter, in this case Addresses.
Expand this folder and the Tables folder, and select Sheet1. The address data file is
displayed.

Figure 327: Selecting the data source

4) Now create or modify the form letter by typing in the text, punctuation, line breaks, and so
on that will be present in all of the letters.
To add the mail-merge fields where needed (such as names and addresses), click in the
field heading and drag it to the appropriate point in the letter. Be sure to add spaces or
other punctuation as needed. Press Enter at the end of each line in the address block.

Figure 328: Dragging fields to the body of the form letter

5) Our example database (Figure 327) contains a field for a second address line (AD2) that
is blank for some addresses. If you wish to remove any blank lines that may appear in the
address block when the letters are printed, you can use the procedure described in
“Suppressing blank lines (optional)” on page 369. Otherwise, continue to the next step.

Chapter 14, Mail Merge | 321

 6) The document is now ready to be printed.
a) Choose File > Print and click Yes in the message box.

Figure 329: Mail merge confirmation message

b) In the Mail Merge dialog (Figure 330), in the Records section, you can choose to print
all records or selected records. To select individual records to be printed,
Ctrl+click on each one. To select a block of records, select the first record in the
block, scroll to the last record in the block, and Shift+click on the last record. You
can also specify a range of record numbers to print.
c) To send the letters directly to the printer, select Printer in the Output section and click
OK. Or, you can save the letters to a file for further editing or formatting; see “Saving
merged documents” on page 370.
d) If you have not saved the original, prototype form letter document (template)
previously, then you should do so now. Having a form letter template could greatly
simplify the creation of other form letters and is highly recommended.

Figure 330: The Mail Merge dialog

Suppressing blank lines (optional)

If you wish to suppress blank lines, follow this procedure:
1) Click at the end of a paragraph to be suppressed if empty, and then choose Insert > Field
> More Fields to display the Fields dialog.
2) Select the Functions tab and then choose Hidden Paragraph in the Type column.

Note
When using the Mail Merge Wizard (page 375), you can select automatic
suppression of blank lines and avoid the work described in this step.

322 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Figure 331: Defining a conditional hidden paragraph
3) Now click in the Condition box and enter the details of the condition that defines a blank
address field. It has the general form of:
![Database.Table.Database field]
For example, in our database the condition to test if the AD2 field is empty would be:
![Addresses.Sheet1.AD2] as illustrated in Figure 331.
Alternative ways to express this condition include NOT Addresses.Sheet1.AD2 and
Addresses.Sheet1.AD2 EQ “”.
4) Click Insert.

Saving merged documents

You may prefer to save the letters in a file, to allow for proofreading or formatting. To do this:
1) In the Mail Merge dialog (Figure 330), select the records to be included, then select File
in the Output section to activate some other choices on the page (Figure 332).
2) You can choose whether to save the output as a single document (containing all of the
letters) or save the letters as individual documents; and you can specify the name,
location, and format of the files.

Figure 332: Saving output to a file

3) Click OK. In the Save as dialog, enter a file name for the saved letters and choose a
folder in which to save them. The letters will be saved consecutively as separate pages in
the single document, or numbered consecutively in individual files.
You can now open the letters and edit them individually as you would edit any other document.

Chapter 14, Mail Merge | 323

Printing mailing labels
Labels are commonly used for printing address lists (where each label shows a different
address), but they can also be used for making multiple copies of one label only, for example
return-address stickers, or labels for CDs/DVDs or other items.
Before beginning this process, note the brand and type of labels you intend to use. You can also
define your own label size; see Step 6).

Tip
If you are printing the same information on each label, you may find the Business
Cards dialog useful. Access it through File > New > Business Cards. The Labels
and Business Cards dialogs are very similar.

Preparing for printing

To prepare mailing labels for printing:
1) Choose File > New > Labels. The Labels dialog opens.
2) On the Labels page (Figure 333), select the Database and Table.
3) From the Database field drop-down list, select the first field to be used in the label (in this
example, FNAME), then click the left arrow button to move it to the Label text area.
4) Continue adding fields and inserting desired punctuation, spaces, and line (paragraph)
ends until the label is composed. Figure 333 shows the completed label.

Figure 333: The completed label

On some operating systems, a scroll bar will appear below the Label text box and you can
see where the paragraph ends are located. On others (as in the example), the fields may
appear in a list and you cannot see where the paragraph ends are located. You can check
them later in the procedure (Step 8)).

324 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

5) Select the label stock in the Brand drop-down list. The types for that brand then appear in
the Type drop-down list. Select the size and type of labels required, and then go to Step
7). If your label sheets are not listed, go to Step 6).
6) To define labels that are not on the list:
a) Select [User] in the Type box on the Labels page. Then, click the Format page of the
Labels dialog (Figure 334). Measure on your labels those dimensions illustrated and
enter them into the respective boxes on the left side.
– Horizontal pitch is the distance between the left edges of adjacent labels.
– Vertical pitch is the distance between the upper edge of a label and the upper edge of
the label directly below.

Figure 334: Specify settings, if necessary

b) You can now save the label template if you are likely to use it again. Click Save.
c) In the Save Label Format dialog that pops up, type names for your label Brand and
Type. Click OK.
7) On the Options tab of the Labels dialog (Figure 335), select Synchronize contents.

Figure 335: Options tab of the Labels dialog

Chapter 14, Mail Merge | 325

 8) Click New Document. You now have a one-page document containing a series of
frames, one for each label of the selected type and filled with the data source address
fields that you selected. Although this document appears to have only one page of labels,
the printed or saved output will be expanded to include enough pages for all of the
selected records from the data source.
9) In this document you can see the paragraph ends if you use the Toggle Formatting
Marks toolbar button or View > Formatting Marks on the Menu bar.
10) You should also see a small window containing a Synchronize Labels button, usually in
the upper left corner of the screen.

11) If any paragraph ends or other punctuation are missing, or if you wish to change the font
or other characteristics of one or more fields or lines (paragraphs) of all the labels, you
can do so now. In the upper left label, select the field(s) that you wish to change, then
change them manually or by selecting a paragraph style or character style. Add any
missing punctuation. Then click the Synchronize Labels button to automatically add
these changes to all of the labels.

Printing
1) Choose File > Print. The message shown in Figure 329 appears. Click Yes to print.
2) In the Mail Merge dialog (Figure 330), you can choose to print all records or selected
records. To select records to be printed, use Ctrl+click to select individual records. To
select a block of records, select the first record in the block, scroll to the last record in the
block, and Shift+click on the last record.
3) Click OK to send the labels directly to the printer. If you prefer to save the labels to a file,
then select File in the Output section, where Save as single document is preselected. In
this case, clicking OK opens the Save As dialog, where you can enter a file name and
location, as described in Step 6) on page 369.

Note
Blank lines in addresses on labels are suppressed automatically, as they are when
using the Mail Merge Wizard (page 375).

Editing a saved file of mailing labels

To edit a saved file of mailing labels, open the file in the same way as any other Writer document.
You can edit individual records manually (for example, to correct a spelling error without needing
to change the source spreadsheet and regenerate the labels), but you cannot edit all labels at
once (for example, to change the font used) by a manual technique. However, you can edit the
paragraph and/or character styles associated with the label records:
1) Right-click in a label record. Choose Paragraph > Edit Style in the context menu.
2) Then in the Paragraph Style dialog, you can make changes to the font name, the font
size, the indents, and other attributes.

326 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Printing envelopes
Instead of printing mailing labels, you may wish to print directly onto envelopes.
The production of envelopes involves two steps, setup and printing. For general instructions on
setting up envelopes for printing using the Format and Printer pages of the Envelope dialog, see
Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, and Signing.
To produce a single envelope, you can type or paste the name and address into the Addressee
box, or you can get information from an address data source as described in this section.

Setting up envelopes for printing

1) Choose Insert > Envelope on the Menu bar.
2) On the Envelope tab of the Envelope dialog (Figure 341), choose whether to add Sender
information (the “from” address) to the envelope. If so, type the information in the Sender
box. If you’re using envelopes preprinted with sender information, either leave this box
empty or deselect the Sender checkbox.

Figure 336: Choosing addressee and sender information for envelopes

3) Create the Addressee fields by dragging and dropping from the data source headings, as
described in “Printing mailing labels” on page 371, then click the New Document button to
create the envelope template.
Alternatively, click New Document, open the Data Sources window above the envelope
template, then drag the data source headings into the Addressee box on the envelope.
4) At this point you may wish to save this document as a template.

Chapter 14, Mail Merge | 327

Merging and printing the envelopes
To merge addresses and print the envelopes:
1) Choose File > Print. The message shown in Figure 329 appears. Click Yes to print.
2) The Mail Merge dialog (Figure 330) appears. As with form letters and mailing labels, you
can choose to print envelopes for one, several, or all address records in the database.
3) Make your selections and then click OK to print direct to the printer. To check the
envelopes before printing them, see “Saving merged documents” on page 370 for
instructions. Blank lines are automatically suppressed.

Using the Mail Merge Wizard to create a form letter

The manual method of creating a form letter is described in “Creating a form letter” on page 367.
If you prefer to use the Mail Merge wizard, the technique is described in this section.
Open a new document with File > New > Text Document and choose Tools > Mail Merge
Wizard on the Menu bar.

Step 1: Select starting document

The Mail Merge Wizard (Figure 337) gives several options for the starting document:
• Use the current document
• Create a new document
• Start from existing document
• Start from a template
• Start from a recently saved starting document
For the purposes of this example, we opened a new text document.
Select Use the current document and click Next.

Figure 337: Select starting document

If the current document does not have a registered data source associated, a warning message
is displayed. Click the Exchange Database button to open the Exchange Databases dialog
(Figure 338) and select the required database from the Available Databases list, If necessary,
click the Browse button to open a file browser and find the required database to register. Click
Define to close the dialog and associate the selected database with the document.

328 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 338: Exchange Databases dialog

Step 2: Select document type

The wizard can produce letters or email messages. In this example, we are producing a letter.
Select Letter and click Next.

Figure 339: Choose document type

Step 3: Insert address block

This is the most complex step in the wizard. In this step (Figure 340) you will do three things:
1) Tell the wizard which data source to use. The data source must be an existing file.
2) Select the address block to use in the document. This means choosing which fields
appear (for example, whether the country is included) and how they look.
3) Make sure that the fields all match correctly. This is very important. For example, the UK
English version of the wizard has a field called <Surname>. If your spreadsheet has a
column called “Last Name”, you need to tell the wizard that <Surname> and “Last Name”
are equivalent. This is described in “Matching the fields” on page 379.

Chapter 14, Mail Merge | 329

 Figure 340: Insert address block

Selecting the data source (address list)

1) If the current address list, identified beneath the Select Different Address List button in
section 1 (Figure 340), is not the one you wish to use, click the button to open the Select
Address List dialog (Figure 341) for choosing a data source.

Figure 341: Select address list dialog

330 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 If you have not already created the address list, you may click Create to do so now. This
step will allow you to create a .csv (Comma Separated Values) file with a new list of
address records. If you have an address list that is not registered in LibreOffice, but which
you wish to use, click Add and select the file from the location in which it is saved.
In each of these cases a new data source (.odb file) will be created and registered.
2) Select the address list and click OK to return to the Insert Address Block dialog. We retain
Addresses as our address book for this example. The wizard can also exclude certain
records; click Filter to choose them.

Selecting and optionally editing the address block

1) In section 2 (Figure 340), select the address block to appear on the letter, define its
appearance, and choose the fields it contains. The main page gives two choices. Click
More to open the Select Address Block dialog for more choices.
2) The Select Address Block dialog (Figure 342) displays the original two blocks plus other
choices for the format of the address block (you may need to scroll down to see all of the
choices). You can also optionally include or exclude the country (for example, only include
the country if it is not England) in the Address Block Settings section. The formats
provided are relatively common, but they might not exactly match your preference. If this
is the case, select the address block that is closest to what you want and click Edit, which
opens the Edit Address Block dialog.
3) In the Edit Address Block dialog (Figure 343), you can add or delete address elements
using the arrow buttons between the boxes. To move elements around, use the arrow
buttons on the right. For example, to add an extra space between the first and the last
names in Figure 343, click <Last Name> and then click the Move right arrow button on
the right-hand side.

Figure 342: Select address block

Chapter 14, Mail Merge | 331

 Figure 343: Edit address block
4) Click OK to close the Edit Address Block dialog, then click OK on the Select Address
Block dialog to save your changes and return to the Mail Merge Wizard.

Matching the fields

Finally, it is time to match the wizard’s fields with the spreadsheet fields, so that items like
<Surname> and “Last Name” match correctly.
1) Look at section 3 of the wizard (shown in Figure 340 on page 377). The box at the bottom
displays one record at a time, using the address block format you specified. Use the right
and left arrow buttons below that address box to step through the addresses, checking
that they display correctly. Do not assume that all the records display correctly, just
because one or two do.
2) If the addresses do not display correctly, click Match Fields. The Match Fields dialog
(Figure 344) has three columns:
– Address elements are the terms the wizard uses for each field, such as <First Name>
and <Last Name>.
– Use the Matches to field column to select, for each address element, the field from
your data source that matches it.
– The Preview column shows what will be shown for this field from the selected
address block, so you can double-check that the match is correct.
3) When you have matched all the fields, click OK to return to the Insert Address Block
dialog. Now, when you use the arrow buttons to look at all the addresses, they should all
look correct. If not, go back and change anything you’re not happy with, before clicking
Next to move to the next step.

332 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Note that you will not be able to continue until you have correctly matched all the fields in
your chosen address block. If you see <not yet matched> in a field position it indicates
that the field in question is not correctly matched.

Figure 344: Match fields dialog

4) Notice the option for Suppress lines with empty fields in section 2 of Figure 340. Using
the Wizard, you do not have to create your own conditional suppression fields, as you do
when using the manual form letter method described earlier in this chapter.

Step 4: Create salutation

It is possible to create just about any salutation you want in this step (see Figure 345).
Select This document should contain a salutation to enable the General salutation list box.
Some general texts are available in the list box, or you can enter your own text. A preview pane
displays your choice.
Select Insert personalized salutation to enable further salutation constructs.
You can, for example, use a different greeting for men and women. To do this, Writer must have
some way of knowing whether a person is male or female. In a spreadsheet, you might have a
column called Gender. In the section Address list field indicating a female recipient, set the Field
name to Gender and the Field value to F. The Male salutation is then printed for all men and the
Female salutation for all women. Unfortunately, LibreOffice does not provide for other genders;
however, you can use a non-gendered salutation.
If you do not have such a column in your spreadsheet, or if you do not need to distinguish
between genders in the salutation, then you can leave the Field name and Field value boxes
empty and use the customized content of the Male list box for the salutation to all recipients.

Chapter 14, Mail Merge | 333

 Figure 345: Create a salutation
As an example:
1) Click the New button alongside the Male list box. The Custom Salutation (Male
Recipients) dialog opens (see Figure 346).
2) Select Salutation in the Salutation elements list on the right and drag it into box 1 on the
right.
3) In the Customize salutation box, select an appropriate greeting or type your own text into
the box. Edit it as needed.
4) Select and move First Name from the Salutation elements list into box 1, using either the
Add to salutation arrow button or by dragging it. Then click the Move right arrow button
on the right-hand side to add space between the salutation and the first name.
5) Select and move Last Name from the Salutation elements list into box 1, then click the
Move right arrow button to add space between the first and the last names.
6) Finally, move Punctuation Mark across and select the comma from the choices in the
Customize salutation box.
7) The construct is shown in the Preview box.
8) Carry out any final editing. Click OK.
This method allows you to use gender neutral titles such as Doctor (Dr) and Reverend (Rev), or
titles such as Ms, or omit titles.

334 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 346: Customizing the salutation

Step 5: Adjust layout

In Step 5: Adjust layout, you can adjust the position of the address block and salutation on the
page. You can place the address block anywhere on the page. The salutation is always on the
left, but you can move it up and down the page. Use the buttons shown in Figure 347 to move
the elements.

Figure 347: Adjust layout

Chapter 14, Mail Merge | 335

You now have a Writer document into which you can type the contents of the letter. To merge the
fields and print the letters, choose File > Print on the Menu bar. A message pops up, asking if
you want to print a form letter. Click Yes.
The Mail Merge dialog (Figure 330) is now displayed, where you can optionally select records to
include or exclude (in the top section) and, in the Output section, choose to print the letters
immediately (Printer) or save them (File) for further editing or printing at a later time.
If you choose File, you can then choose whether to save the output as a single document
(containing all of the letters) or save the letters as individual documents, and you can specify the
name, location, and format of the files. Click OK to save the letters. You can now open the letters
and edit them individually as you would edit any other document.

336 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 15,
Tables of Contents, Indexes,
Bibliographies
Introduction
This chapter describes how to create and maintain a table of contents, an index, and a
bibliography for a text document using LibreOffice Writer. Other types of index are mentioned
briefly. To understand the instructions, you need a basic familiarity with Writer and styles (see
Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles, and Chapter 9, Working with Styles).

Tables of contents
Writer’s table of contents (TOC) feature lets you build an automated TOC from the headings in a
document. Whenever changes are made to the text of a heading in the body of the document or
the page on which the heading appears, those changes automatically appear in the table of
contents when it is updated.
Before you start, make sure that the headings are styled consistently. For example, you can use
the Heading 1 style for chapter titles and the Heading 2 and Heading 3 styles for chapter
subheadings.
This section shows you how to:
• Create a table of contents quickly, using the defaults.
• Customize a table of contents.

Note
You can use any style you want for the different levels to appear in the TOC; the
examples in this chapter uses the default Heading styles. You can specify other
paragraph styles to appear in the TOC, as described in “Create From” on page 392.

Tips
If some of your headings do not show up in the table of contents, check that the
headings have been tagged with the correct paragraph style. If a whole level of
headings does not show up, check the settings in Tools > Chapter Numbering. See
Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles.
If you add or delete text (so that headings move to different pages) or you add,
delete, or change headings, you need to update the table of contents. To do this:
Right-click anywhere in the TOC and select Update Index in the context menu.
If you cannot place the cursor in the TOC, choose Tools > Options > LibreOffice
Writer > Formatting Aids, and then select Enable cursor in the Protected Areas
section.
The TOC appears with a gray background. This background is there to remind you
that the TOC is a field; the text you see is generated automatically. The background
is not printed and does not appear if the document is converted to a PDF. To turn off
this gray background, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Application Colors,
then scroll down to the Text Document section and deselect Index and table
shadings.
This change may leave a gray background showing behind the dots between the
headings and the page numbers, because the dots are part of a tab. To turn that
shading off, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Formatting Aids and
deselect the option for Tabs in the Display formatting section.

338 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Creating a table of contents quickly
Most of the time you will find the default table of contents to be all you need, although the
formatting may be inelegant. To insert a default TOC:
1) Create a document, using the following paragraph styles for different heading levels (such
as chapter and section headings): Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3. These are what
will appear in your TOC. Writer can evaluate up to ten levels of headings.
2) Click in the document where you want the TOC to appear.
3) Choose Insert > Table of Contents and Index > Table of Contents, Index or
Bibliography.
4) Click OK. The result will be a typical table of contents with the entries generated as
hyperlinks.

Caution
If you have Edit > Track Changes > Show enabled when editing a document and
you update the TOC, then errors may occur, as the TOC will still include any deleted
headings and deleted text may cause page numbering in the TOC to be wrong. To
avoid this problem, be sure this option is deselected before updating a TOC.

Customizing a table of contents

Almost every aspect of the table of contents can be customized to suit the style and requirements
of your document.
Start by clicking in the document where you want the table of contents to appear and choose
Insert > Table of Contents and Index > Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography to open the
Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog shown in Figure 348.

Figure 348: Type tab of Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 339

You can also access this dialog at any time by right-clicking anywhere in an existing table of
contents and choosing Edit Index in the context menu.
The Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog has five tabs. Each tab covers a different
aspect of the TOC structure and appearance:
• Use the Type tab to set the attributes of the TOC.
• Use the Entries and Styles tabs to format the entries in the TOC.
• Use the Columns tab to put the TOC into more than one column.
• Use the Background tab to add color or an image to the background of the TOC.
You can display a preview box, located on the right-hand side of the dialog, to show as you work
how the TOC will look: select the Preview option in the lower left of the dialog. The illustrations in
this chapter show the dialog as it appears with the preview box hidden.

Note
The preview box shows the appearance from settings made on the Type, Entries,
and Styles tabs. It does not show changes made on the Columns and Background
tabs.

After making all your changes, click OK to apply them. To revert to the default settings for the
Columns and Background tabs, select each tab in turn and click the Reset button. The settings
on the Type, Entries and Styles tabs must be reset manually; the Reset button has no effect.

Type tab
Use the Type tab (Figure 348) to set the attributes of the TOC.
Title
To give the table of contents a different title, type it in the Title field. To delete the title,
clear the Title field.
Type
Select a type in the drop-down list. For a TOC, be sure the Type is set to Table of
Contents. See “Alphabetic indexes” on page 396 and “Other types of index” on page 404
for more about creating other types of indexes.

Note
You can change the type of index only when you first create it. Once you define an
index type (for example, a table of contents) you cannot change it.

Protected against manual changes

By default, to prevent the TOC from being changed accidentally, this option is selected;
the TOC can only be changed by using the context menu or the dialog. If the option is not
selected, the TOC can be changed directly, just like other text. However, any manual
changes will be lost when you update the TOC, so they should be avoided.
Create Index or Table of Contents
In the For drop-down list in this area, you can select whether the TOC will cover all the
headings of the document (Entire document) or just the headings of the chapter where it
is inserted. In previous versions of LibreOffice, the heading level designating a chapter
was fixed; from version 7.4, it is the current heading level.

340 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Evaluate up to level
Writer can use up to 10 levels of headings when it builds the table of contents (or the
number of levels used in the document, whichever is smaller). To specify the number of
levels included, enter the required number in the Evaluate up to level box. For example,
the TOC in this book includes only the first three heading levels.
Create From
The third section of the Type tab determines what Writer should use to create the TOC.
The choices (not mutually exclusive) are Outline, Additional styles, and Index marks.
Outline
By default Writer uses the outline levels; that is, paragraphs formatted with the paragraph
styles associated with outline levels in Tools > Chapter Numbering.
You can change the paragraph styles included in the outline, and you can include other
paragraph styles in the outline by assigning an outline level to those styles. Both of these
methods are described in in Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles.
Additional styles
You can add more paragraph styles to the TOC. This can be useful, for example, when
you want to include the heading of an annex (appendix) in the TOC. If the Outline option
is also selected, the additional styles will be included in the table of contents together with
the ones defined in the outline numbering. Select this option and click the Assign styles
button to open the Assign Styles dialog (FIgure 349).
Index marks
This selection adds any index entries that you have inserted into the document by using
Insert > Table of Contents and Index > Index Entry. Normally you would not use this
selection for a table of contents. However, if you select Table of Contents in the Index
drop-down list at the top of the Insert Index Entry dialog (Figure 354), Writer will
distinguish between them and any index entries intended for inclusion in an alphabetic or
other index.

Figure 349: Assigning additional styles to TOC levels

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 341

Entries tab
Use the Entries tab (Figure 350) to define and format the entries in the TOC. Each outline level
can be styled independently from the other levels by adding and deleting elements.

Figure 350: Entries tab of Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog

Click a number in the Level column to select the outline level whose elements you want to
format. The Structure line contains the elements included in the entries for that level. Elements
that can be added to the structure line are displayed just below the structure line, and are grayed
out if they cannot be included:
• The LS icon represents the start of a hyperlink.
• The E# icon represents the “chapter number”, which means the heading number value
assigned to a heading style in Tools > Chapter Numbering, not just for chapters but
also for other levels of headings. See “Setting up heading numbering” in Chapter 8,
Introduction to Styles.
• The E icon represents the chapter (or sub-chapter) text: That is the text formatted with
the paragraph style used for each level.
• The T icon represents a tab stop.
• The # icon represents the page number.
• The LE icon represents the end of a hyperlink.
• Each white field on the Structure line represents a blank space where you can add
custom text or another element.

Note
In the Chapter Numbering dialog (covered in Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles), if you
have included any text in the Before or After boxes in the Separator section for any
given level, then that text will be part of the E# field for that level. Take care when
building the structure line not to create any unwanted effects in the appearance of
the TOC.

Adding elements
To add an element to the Structure line:
1) Click in the white field where you want to insert the element.
2) Click one of the active buttons just below the Structure line. For example, to add a tab,
click the Tab Stop button. An icon representing the new element appears on the Structure
line.
3) To add custom text, such as the word Chapter, type the text in the white field. Don't forget
a trailing space.

342 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Changing elements
To change an element in the Structure line, click the icon representing that element and then click
a non-grayed out element in the row of buttons just below the Structure line. For example, to
change a chapter number to a tab stop, click the E# icon on the Structure line (it shows then as
being pressed) and then click the Tab Stop button in the row of available elements. To cancel
before swapping an element, click in one of the white spaces.

Applying changes to all outline levels

If you wish to apply the displayed structure and formatting to all outline levels, click the All button
on the right.

Deleting elements
To delete an element from the Structure line, click the button representing that element and then
press the Delete key on your keyboard. For example, to delete the default hyperlink setting, click
the LS icon and then press the Delete key. Repeat this for the LE icon.

Applying character styles

You might want an element to be a bit different from the rest of the line. For example, you might
want the page number to be bold. To apply a character style to an element:
1) Be sure you have previously defined a suitable character style.
2) On the Structure line, click the button representing the element to which you want to apply
a style.
3) In the Character Style drop-down list, select the desired style.
To view or edit the attributes of a character style, select the style in the Character Style drop-
down list and then click the Edit button.

Tip
The default character style for hyperlinks (such as those inserted by Insert >
Hyperlink) is Internet Link, which by default is underlined and shown in blue.
The default hyperlinks of TOC entries are set to the Index Link character style, which
may be different in appearance from the Internet Link style. If you want them to
appear the same as internet links, you can select the LS icon on the Structure line
and change the character style selection for TOC entries to Internet Link.
You can also change the attributes for Index Link to what you want.

Tab parameters
Click on the Tab stop icon on the Structure line to bring up these controls:
• Fill character: select the tab character you wish to use; the first choice is none (blank).
• Tab stop position: specify the distance to leave between the left page margin and the
tab stop. Optionally, select Align right for the tab stop; this selection inactivates the
distance.

Tab position relative to paragraph style indent

When this option is selected, entries are indented according to the settings of their individual
formats. Where a paragraph style specifies an indent on the left, tab stops are relative to this
indent. If this option is not selected, tab stops are relative to the left margin position.

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 343

Styles tab
Use the Styles tab (Figure 351) to change which paragraph style is assigned to display the text of
each level in the table of contents. In most cases, the best strategy is to keep the assigned styles
but change their settings as needed to make the TOC appear the way you want.
To apply a custom paragraph style to an outline level:
1) In the Levels list, select the outline level.
2) In the Paragraph Styles list, click on the desired paragraph style.
3) Click the < button to apply the selected paragraph style to the selected outline level.
The style assigned to each level appears in square brackets in the Levels list.
To remove paragraph styling from an outline level, select the outline level in the Levels list, and
then click the Default button.
To view or edit the attributes of a paragraph style, click the style in the Paragraph Styles list, and
then click the Edit button.

Figure 351: Styles tab of the Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog

Columns tab
Use the Columns tab to change the number of columns for the TOC. Multiple columns are more
likely to be used in an index than in a TOC, so this tab is described in the section on indexes.
See Figure 357.

Background tab
Use the Background tab (Figure 352) to add color or an image to the background of the TOC.
See Chapter 6, Formatting Pages: Advanced, for more about adding a background.

Figure 352: Background tab

344 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Adding color
To add color to the background of the table of contents, select the Color button near the top of
the dialog, then select a color from those provided and click OK.
See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, for information about defining custom background colors.

Adding an image
To add an image to the background of the table of contents, select the Image button. The
Background tab now displays the image options.

Deleting a color or an image

To delete a color or an image from the table background, select None at the top of the dialog.

Editing a table of contents

To edit an existing TOC, right-click anywhere in the TOC and choose Edit Index in the context
menu. You can also open the Navigator in the Sidebar, click the expansion symbol (+ sign or
triangle) next to Indexes, then double-click on Table of Contents.
The Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog (Figure 348 on page 390) opens. You can
edit and save the TOC as described in the previous section.

Updating a table of contents

Writer does not update the TOC automatically, so after any changes to the headings, you need to
update it manually. Right-click anywhere in the TOC; in the context menu, choose Update Index.
You can also update the index from the Navigator: expand Indexes, right-click on the name of
table of contents you want to update, and choose Index > Update.

Deleting a table of contents

To delete the TOC from a document, right-click anywhere in the TOC and choose Delete Index in
the context menu. You can also delete the index from the Navigator by choosing Index > Delete
in the menu shown in Figure 354. Writer will not prompt you to confirm the deletion.

Alphabetic indexes
An alphabetical index (referred to as an index) is a list of keywords or phrases used throughout a
document that, if listed in order with page numbers, may help the reader find information quickly.
Generally an index is found in the back of a book or document.
This section describes how to:
• Add index entries manually.
• Use a concordance file.
• Create an alphabetic index quickly.
• Customize the display of index entries.
• Customize the appearance of the index.
• View and edit existing index entries.

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 345

Adding index entries
Before you can create an index, you must create some index entries, either manually or by using
a concordance (see page 399). To create index entries manually:
1) To add a word to the index, place the cursor anywhere in that word. To add multiple words
as one entry, select the entire phrase.
2) Choose Insert > Table of Contents and Index > Index Entry to display a dialog similar
to the one in Figure 354. When the dialog opens, the selected text appears in the Entry
box. You can accept the word or phrase shown, or change it to whatever you want.
3) Click Insert to create the entry.

Tip
You can also open the Insert Index Entry dialog by clicking the Insert Index Entry
icon at the right-hand end of the Insert toolbar, as shown in Figure 353.

Figure 353: Insert Index Entry icon on Insert toolbar

Tip
A cursor placed immediately before the first character of a word, or immediately after
the last character of a word if it is followed by a space, counts as being in that word.

You can create multiple entries without closing the dialog. For each one:
1) Click at the location in the document that you want to index.
2) Click again on the dialog.
3) Change the entry if needed, and click Insert.
4) Repeat steps 1–3 until you have finished with the entries, then click Close.

Figure 354: Inserting an index entry

346 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Below is a brief explanation of the fields in the Insert Index Entry dialog and how to use them.
Index
The type of index this entry is for. The default is Alphabetical Index, but you can use this
field to create extra entries for a table of contents or user-defined indexes or lists of
almost anything. For example, you might want an index containing only the scientific
names of species mentioned in the text, and a separate index containing only the
common names of species. See “Other types of index” on page 404.
Entry
The word or phrase to be added to the selected index. This word or phrase does not need
to be in the document itself; you can add synonyms and other terms that you want to
appear in the index.
1st key
An index key is an entry that has no associated page number and has several subentries
that do have page numbers. Using keys is a useful way of grouping related topics. (See
“Example of using an index key” on page 398.)
2nd key
You can have up to a three-level index, where some of the first-level keys have level-2
entries that are also keys (without page numbers). This degree of index complexity is not
often necessary.
Main entry
When the same term is indexed on several pages, often one of those pages has more
important or detailed information on that topic, so you want it to be the main entry. To
make the page number for the main, or most important, entry stand out, select this option
and then define the character style for the page number of a main index entry to be bold,
for example.
Apply to all similar texts
Select this option to have Writer automatically identify and mark any other word or phrase
that matches the current selection. The Match case and Whole words only options
become available if this option is selected. Use this option with care, as it may result in
many unwanted page numbers (for minor uses of a word) being listed in the index.

Example of using an index key

An index key is a primary entry under which subentries are grouped. For example, you might
want to create a grouping similar to this:
LibreOffice
Calc, 10
Impress, 15
Writer, 5
In this example, LibreOffice is the 1st key. The subentries (with the page numbers showing) are
the indexed entries. To insert an index entry for the topic Writer, on the Insert Index Entry dialog
(Figure 354 on page 397), type Writer in the Entry box and LibreOffice in the 1st key box.

Note
If field shading is active (Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Application Colors >
Text Document > Field shadings), when a selected word or phrase has been
added to the index, it is shown in the text with a gray background. If the text of an
index entry has been changed from the text of the word selected, the index entry is
marked by a small gray rectangle at the start or end of that word.

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 347

Creating a concordance
A concordance is a plain text file that lists words to add to the index. It has one word or phrase
defined on each line. Each line has a strict structure, consisting of seven fields, separated by
semicolons:
Search_term;Alternative_entry;1st_key;2nd_key;Match_case;Word_only
No space is entered between the semicolon and a field’s content. A key is a higher level heading
that a search term is placed beneath.
If you choose not to have an alternative entry, a first key or a second key, leave those fields
blank, so that one semi-colon immediately follows another.
The last two fields are structured somewhat differently. If you want only entries that have the
same upper or lower case letters as your entries, enter 1 in the second to last field. Similarly,
entering 1 in the last field sets the index to only include instances where the entry is a whole
word, and not part of a larger one. You can also leave the last two fields blank, as you can with
any of the others.
For example, entering:
Macaw;Ara;Parrots;;0;0
Would produce an entry for macaw with
• A listing under macaw.
• An alternate listing under ara (the scientific name).
• A listing of Parrots, Macaw.
• No second key (notice the two semi-colons).
• Inclusion of instances that start with a lower or upper case letter (both “macaw” and
“Macaw”).
• Inclusion of instances in which the term is a whole word or part of a longer word.
Whether creating a concordance is faster than adding entries manually is debatable, but a
concordance is certainly more systematic. The disadvantage of a concordance is that it can
produce an index that includes instances of common words that are irrelevant for your purposes.
In many cases, a useful index may require a combination of manual entries and a concordance.

Creating an alphabetic index quickly

Now that you have some index entries, you can create the index.
Although indexes can be customized extensively in Writer, most of the time you need to make
only a few choices.
To create an index quickly:
1) Click in the document where you want to add the index and click Insert > Table of
Contents and Index > Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography to open the Table of
Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog.
2) In the Type box on the Type tab (Figure 355), select Alphabetical Index.
3) In the Options section, you may want to deselect Case sensitive (so that capitalized and
lower-case words are treated as the same word) and Combine identical entries with p
or pp.
4) If you are using a concordance, select Concordance file in the Options section, then
click the File button and select the concordance file you created.
5) Click OK. The result will be a typical index.

348 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Customizing an index
To customize an existing index, right-click anywhere in the index and choose Edit Index in the
context menu.
The Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog (Figure 355) has five tabs. All of them can be
used to customize the index.
• Use the Type tab to set the attributes of the index.
• Use the Entries and Styles tabs to format the entries in the index.
• Use the Columns tab to put the index into more than one column.
• Use the Background tab to add color or an image to the background of the index.
After making your changes, click OK to save the index so it appears in your document.

Type tab
Use the Type tab (Figure 355) to set the basic attributes of the index.
To give the index a different title, edit the Title field. To delete the title, clear the Title field.
Be sure the type of index is set to Alphabetical Index.
By default, to prevent the index from being changed accidentally, the option Protected against
manual changes is selected; the index can only be changed by using the context menu or the
dialog. If the option is not selected, the index can be changed directly just like other text, but any
manual changes to an index will be lost when you update it, so they should be avoided.

Figure 355: Type tab for an alphabetic index

In the drop-down list in the Create Index or Table of Contents section, select Entire document.
You can also choose to create an index for just the current chapter.
Other options determine how the index handles entries.
Combine identical entries
Defines how identical entries are dealt with. Normally each page number of an indexed
word or phrase will be shown in the index; however, these can be combined using the
Combine identical entries with p or pp.

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 349

 If you want a page range displayed, select Combine with – (which will produce
something similar to 23–31). If you want different entries based on what letters are
capitalized, select Case sensitive.
AutoCapitalize entries
Automatically capitalizes the first letter of each entry regardless of how they show within
the document itself.
Keys as separate entries
For the keys to have their own page numbers, select this option.
Concordance file
Choose the file to be used, if any. See page 399 for more information.
Sort
Defines how the entries are sorted when displayed. The only option is alphanumeric, but
you can define which language alphabet will be used.

Entries tab
Use the Entries tab to set exactly how and what will be displayed for each of the entries. The tab
is similar to Figure 356.

Note
Hyperlinking from the index to the location of entries in the text is not available.

Figure 356: Entries tab for an alphabetical index

To begin, in the Level column select the index level whose elements you want to format. Level
“S” refers to the single letter headings that divide the index entries alphabetically when the
Alphabetical delimiter option is selected in the Format section. (You will be able to apply your
changes to all index levels later.) In the Structure and Formatting section, the Structure line
displays the elements for entries in that level. Each button on the line represents one element:
• The E icon represents the entry text.
• The T icon represents a tab stop.
• The # icon represents the page number.
• The CI icon represents chapter information. This is not present by default, but can be
added by selecting the Chapter info button.

350 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Each white field on the Structure line represents a blank space. You can add, change, or delete
elements as described on page 393 for a table of contents.

Chapter Info
The Chapter Info button inserts chapter information, such as the chapter heading and number.
The information to be displayed is selected from the Chapter entry list that appears when this
option is selected and is determined in the Chapter Numbering dialog (Tools > Chapter
Numbering).

Applying character styles

Each element on the Structure line may be given additional formatting. For example, you may
want the page number to be a different size from the rest of the index text. To do this, apply a
character style to one of the elements in the Structure line, as for a table of contents (page 394).

Formatting entries
Apply additional formatting using the options in the Format section.
Alphabetical delimiter
This separates the index entries into blocks that start with the same first letter, using that
letter as a header. For example, if your index begins:
apple, 4
author, 10
break, 2
bus, 4
Then selecting this option will give you:
A
apple, 4
author, 10

B
break, 2
bus, 4
Key separated by commas
Arranges the entries in the index on the same line but separated by commas.
Tab position relative to Paragraph Style indent
When selected, entries are indented according to the settings of their individual formats.
Where a paragraph style with an indent on the left is in use, tab stops will be relative to
this indent. If this option is not selected, tab stops will be relative to the left margin
position.

Styles and Background tabs

Use the Styles tab to change which paragraph style is assigned to display the text of each level
in the index. In most cases, the best strategy is to keep the assigned styles but you can change
their settings as needed to make the index appear the way you want.
The Background tab is the same as for TOCs. Refer to “Styles tab” on page 395 and
“Background tab” on page 395 for detailed information on these tabs.

Columns tab
Use the Columns tab (Figure 357) to change the number of columns for the index.

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 351

 Figure 357: Columns tab of the Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog

Adding multiple columns

To display the index in more than one column:
1) Either enter the number of columns desired in the box labeled Columns or select the icon
representing the number of columns.
2) To evenly distribute the columns according to the page width, select the AutoWidth box.
If it is unchecked, you can manually set each of the following:
– Width of each of the columns
– Spacing between the columns
3) You can choose to have a separator line between the columns:
– Style: The default is None, or select from three choices of line style.
– Width: The width (thickness) of the line. The default is 0.25pt.
– Color: Choose the color of the separator line. The default is Black.
– Height: The height of the line, as a percentage of the full column height. The default is
100%
– Position: Position of the line relative to the columns (top, centered, or bottom) if the
height is less than 100%.

Maintaining an index
To modify the appearance of an index, right-click anywhere in the index and choose Edit Index in
the context menu. The Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog opens and you can edit
and save the index using the five tabs described in the previous section.
To update or delete an index, right-click anywhere in the index and select Update Index or
Delete Index.

352 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Viewing and editing existing index entries
Once you have added the initial entries, you can make some amendments. You can view and
edit these using the following steps:
1) Ensure that field shading is active (View > Field Shadings or Ctrl+F8), so you can
locate index entries more easily.
2) Place the cursor in the field shading of an existing index entry in the body of the
document, right-click, and select Index Entry in the content menu. In the case of a
changed-text entry, the field shading is immediately before the word. Placing the cursor
immediately before a word marked as a text entry will satisfy both selection criteria.
3) A dialog similar to Figure 358 appears. You can move through the various index entries
using the forward and back arrow buttons. If there is more than one entry for a single
word or phrase, a second row of buttons with a vertical bar at the point of the arrow head
is displayed allowing you to scroll through each of these entries.
4) Make the necessary modifications or additions to the index entries, and then click OK.

Figure 358: Viewing and editing index entries

Other types of index

An alphabetical index is not the only type of index that you can build with Writer. Other types of
indexes supplied with Writer include those for illustrations, tables, and objects, and you can even
create a user-defined index. This chapter does not give examples of all the possibilities.
To create other indexes:
1) Place the cursor where you want the index created.
2) Select Insert > Table of Contents and Index > Table of Contents, Index or
Bibliography on the Menu bar.
3) On the Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog, in the Type drop-down list, select
the index wanted.
4) Modify the various tabs, which are similar to those discussed in previous sections.
5) Click OK when everything has been set.

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 353

Example: Creating an index of figures
Creating an index (list) of figures or tables is easy if the figure captions were created using Insert
> Caption or manually using a number range variable as described in Chapter 17, Fields.
1) On the Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog, in the Type drop-down list, choose
Table of Figures. You can change the title of the index to something else; we have used
Table of Figures as our title.
2) Be sure Captions is selected in the Create From section, and choose the category of
caption. The default for Category is Figure; in our example we have used Figure for the
figure captions.
3) Under Display, you can choose References (to include the category, number, and caption
text), Category and Number, or Caption Text. We have chosen References.
4) The other tabs of this dialog are similar to those described for tables of contents.

Figure 359: Creating other types of indexes

5) Click OK. The result is shown in Figure 360.

Figure 360: Resulting table of figures

354 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Bibliographies
A bibliography is a list of references used in a document. The references can be stored in a
bibliographic database or within the document itself.
This section shows you how to:
• Create a bibliographic database; add and maintain entries.
• Add a reference (citation) into a document.
• Format the bibliography.
• Update and edit an existing bibliography.
Citations within the text require entries in different fields in the bibliography database, and
different presentations in the text. Before creating a list of references, determine which citation
style you need for a document. The five main styles are:
• APA (American Psychological Association): Psychology, education, and other social
sciences.
• MLA (Modern Languages Association): Literature, art, and humanities.
• Chicago: History and specific publications.
• Turabian: A variation of the Chicago style for general use by university students.
• AMA (American Medical Association): Medicine, Health, and Biology.
The Bibliography Database (Figure 361) is the source for citations in the text, no matter what
citation style you use.
All citations use the Identifier field (first on the left) to set the format for a citation in the document.
In this column, you can add the citation in the correct form for the citation style. All necessary
information, including the Identifier field, should be entered before any citation is created in the
document. The Identifier column in the database table and the Short Name field below the table
are the same field.

Tip
Writer has a single bibliography database for all documents. Since formatting entries
can be tedious, consider creating a template with citations for each type of source
material.

Creating a bibliographic database

Although you can create references within the document itself, creating a bibliographic database
allows reuse in other documents and saves a lot of time.
For most of this section, the database table used is the sample one that comes with Writer. For
information on creating a new table in the bibliographic database, see the Getting Started Guide.
The bibliography database has to cover many different media and circumstances, which is why it
contains so many fields. It also includes fields such as ISBN that no citation style uses, but might
be useful to you during your research.

Note
Any single entry in the bibliography needs only about half a dozen fields filled in, no
matter what citation format you use. What differs is the fields needed for each type of
source material and the order of the fields in each citation style.

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 355

To open the database select Tools > Bibliography Database. The Bibliography Database
window, similar to that in Figure 361, opens. The upper part of the tab shows all of the records, in
a table layout similar to that of a spreadsheet. The lower part of the tab shows all the fields of the
selected record.

Caution
The sample entries in the sample database for both the Identifier column and the
Short Name field are meaningless. Replace them with the proper format for the
citation style you are using.

Figure 361: Bibliography Database main window

Changing the data source

To change the data source in use (for example, if you have more than one bibliographic database
for different purposes), select Data > Choose Data Source on the Menu bar, or click the Data
Source button on the toolbar near the top of the Database window. The Choose Data Source
dialog lists registered data sources. Select one of them and click OK.
To add (register) a different data source, see instructions in the Getting Started Guide.

356 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Filtering records
To set up a filter for specific records within the bibliographic database, select Data > Filter on the
Bibliographic Database Menu bar, or click the Standard Filter button on the toolbar near the top
of the window. In the Standard Filter dialog (Figure 362), choose the fields, conditions, and
values for the filter and click OK.

Figure 362: Setting up a filter for the bibliographic database

Adding entries to the database

Use the Bibliography Database dialog (Tools > Bibliography Database) to add entries to the
database:
1) You can add records directly into the database using the fields in the lower section of the
dialog shown in Figure 361 on page 407.
2) Select Data > Record on the Menu bar of the Bibliography Database dialog, or click the
+ icon to the left of the horizontal scroll bar.
3) Enter a name for the entry in the Short Name box. Complete other fields as required. Use
the Tab key to move between fields.
It is best to use a unique name in the Short name field. This field is used when inserting
entries into documents.
4) To complete the entry, move to the last field and press Tab again, or click on any other
cell in the table.
If your document requires [Author, date] style citations, use the Short name field of the database
to record the information in the required format.

Maintaining entries in the database

To maintain entries in the database, use the Bibliography Database dialog (Tools >
Bibliography Database). Click the appropriate record and modify the fields as appropriate.
Modified entries are saved automatically to the database when the cursor moves off the record.

Advanced: Modifying the bibliographic database

You can modify the bibliography database in several ways, as summarized below.

Note
For more information on how to use LibreOffice’s database features, see the Getting
Started Guide.

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 357

Column details
To change the details of columns in the bibliographic database, select Data > Column
Arrangement on the Menu bar, or click the Column Arrangement button on the toolbar near the
top of the window (Figure 361). On the Column Layout for Table “biblio” dialog (Figure 363), you
can change which fields are allocated to which columns. As an example, you can select to have
Author data go into the Identifier column, by changing the destination in the drop-down list. The
Short name data column destination sets to <none> automatically, as you can't set duplicate
destinations for data.

Figure 363: Changing column layout for bibliographic database

Field details
You can make changes to the bibliography database (for example, rename fields or change the
length of fields) by doing the following:
1) In the main document (not the Bibliography Database window), press Shif+Ctrl+F4 or
click View > Data Sources to open the data source window, similar to Figure 364.
2) Make sure that the Bibliography database is selected as well as the correct table. You
may have to expand some levels to be able to select the correct ones.

Figure 364: Data Source view of Bibliography database

358 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

3) Right-click the table entry (biblio in the example) and select Edit Database File in the
context menu. This opens a window similar to Figure 365, which is the main menu for
Base, the database component of LibreOffice.
4) If Tables (in the Database section on the left) is not selected, select it now.
5) Right-click the biblio table name in the Tables section and select Edit in the context menu
to display a window similar to that shown in Figure 366.
6) You can now select each of the fields. Select the text in the Field Name cell and change
the entry as required. Click in the Field Type cell to open a selection menu to change the
data type in that cell. In the Field Properties section, you can modify the data properties.
For each field selected, a description of that field appears to the right of the section.
7) When finished, you will be asked to confirm that you want the changes saved.

Figure 365: Main window for working with databases

Figure 366: Modify table properties window

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 359

Adding references (citations) into a document
Writer supports two methods of adding references to your document:
• From a bibliography database, such as the one built into Writer.
• Directly from the keyboard.

Entering references from a database

To add references from the bibliographic database into a document:
1) Place the cursor where you want the reference to appear.
2) On the Menu bar, choose Insert > Table of Contents and Index > Bibliography Entry.
3) In the Insert Bibliography Entry dialog (Figure 367), choose Bibliography database in
the Bibliography Source section at the top of the dialog.

Figure 367: Inserting bibliographic entries into a document

4) Select the reference from the Short name drop-down list in the middle of the dialog. The
Author and Title of the selected reference are shown below the Short name field, to help
you verify that it is the reference you want.
5) To insert the reference into the document, click Insert.
You can keep the dialog open and insert another reference into the document; you do not
need to close and reopen it.
6) When you have finished inserting all the references, click Close.

Entering references from documents

You may choose to enter your bibliographic entries directly into the document, instead of from an
external database. Click in the document where you want to add the entry.
1) Select Insert > Table of Contents and Index > Bibliography Entry.
2) In the Insert Bibliography Entry dialog (Figure 367), select Document content in the
Bibliography Source section at the top of the dialog.
3) Click New to open the Define Bibliography Entry dialog.
a) Complete all the fields that are relevant to your entry. Type a unique name in the
Short name box; the Insert Bibliography Entry dialog uses this entry for the citation.
b) Select an option in the menu in the Type box to enable the OK button.
c) Click OK when all the fields wanted are completed.
d) Click Insert to add the Short name field to the document, and then click Close.

360 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

To re-use an entry in your document, restart the sequence above, and then select the Short
name required from the current list of entries, instead of selecting to add a new entry.

Editing a reference
To edit a reference:
1) Right-click the entry (the cursor then displays to the left of the entry).
2) In the context menu, select Bibliography Entry. The Edit Bibliography Entry dialog
(similar to the Insert Bibliography Entry dialog) opens.
3) To quickly edit only the Short name, click the text box, edit the entry and then click Apply.
4) To edit more of the entry, click Edit to open the Define Bibliography Entry dialog.
Make any changes required and then click OK to return to the Edit Bibliography Entry
dialog.
5) Click Apply to accept the changes and exit the dialog.

Note
Modified references are stored only in the document. If the source is a bibliography
database, that database remains unmodified.

Creating the bibliography

1) Place the cursor at the point where you wish to insert the bibliography.
2) Select Insert > Table of Contents and Index > Table of Contents, Index or
Bibliography and change the Type to Bibliography, to display a dialog similar to that
shown in Figure 368.

Figure 368: Inserting a bibliography

Type tab
Writer supports two ways of displaying references (citations) in the text of a document:
• Using the text recorded in the Short name field of each bibliographic entry, for example
(Smith, 2001) depending on citation style.
• By numbering the referenced documents in the sequence they occur in the text, for
example [1].

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 361

 Tip
To specify which citation style is used in the document, use the Type tab on the Table
of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog (Figure 368).

Formatting the bibliography involves choices made in two places:

• Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog, covered in this section.
• Bibliography 1 paragraph style (see page 414).
The basic settings are selected on this tab.
1) To give the bibliography a title, enter it in the Title field. (A title is not required.)
2) You can protect the bibliography from being changed accidentally, by selecting Protected
against manual changes. If this option is selected, the bibliography can only be changed
using the right-click menu or the Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog. If the
option is not selected, the bibliography can be changed directly on the document page,
just like other text, but any manual changes will be lost when you update the bibliography.
3) To have the bibliographic entries (citations) numbered within the body of the document
(for example, [1], [2]...), select Number entries. If, however, you wish to have the Short
name field contents (from the database) appear in the document, deselect this option.
4) Select the type of brackets that you want for the referenced entries shown within the body
of the document.
5) Define the sorting you require. Currently only alphanumeric sorting is supported. Sorting
by the sequence that entries appear in the text is done on the Entries tab.

Entries tab
The structure of this tab (Figure 369) is similar to that for tables of contents and for indexes.

Figure 369: Entries tab for bibliographies

The Type section refers to the kind of source, such as a periodical or a web page. Each entry in
the Type list has a default structure format. You can define how the entry will appear, based on its
source, by selecting from the Type list of entries, or simply apply the same format to all entries by
clicking the All button.

362 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The Structure of the entry is based on the fields available in the bibliographic database. Consult
the citation style required for your document and modify the Structure line as needed.
To remove elements from the Structure line, click the element then click the Remove button.
To add an element, click in the Structure line where it is to be inserted. Select either the Tab
Stop, or an element in the drop-down list to the left of the Insert button, and then click Insert.
The elements in the drop-down list are those fields found in the Bibliography Database.
All the elements on the Structure line can be formatted using the Character Style selection list.
For example, you can define a character style so that book and journal titles are in italics or bold.
To determine how entries are sorted, modify the Sort by options. To sort by the sequence that
entries appear in the text, choose Document position. In most modern citation styles, you will
want Content (alphabetical descending order). Use Sort keys to group similar references.

Styles, Columns and Background tabs

Refer to “Styles tab” on page 395, “Columns tab” on page 402 and “Background tab” on page
395 for detailed information on these tabs.

Modifying the paragraph style for the bibliography

You can modify the Bibliography 1 paragraph style to suit your requirements. For example, to
number the entries in the bibliography list, you need to define a list style and link that list style to
the Bibliography 1 paragraph style. To do this:
1) On the Styles deck in the sidebar, click on the List Styles icon. Right-click on Numbering
123 and choose New in the context menu.
2) In the List Style dialog, go to the Organizer tab and type a name for this style. In our
example, we have named it Bibliography.
3) In our example we want to have the numbers enclosed in square brackets. To do this, go
to the Customize tab and type [ in the Before box and ] in the After box, as shown in
Figure 370. Remove any other punctuation, such as a period, that may be in the After
box.

Figure 370: Specifying square brackets before and after the number in a list

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 363

 4) Now go to the Position tab of the List Style dialog (Figure 371). In the Indent at and Tab
stop at boxes, specify how much indentation you want for the second and following lines
of any item in the bibliography list of your document. Often you will need to experiment a
bit to see what is the best setting. In our example, we have chosen 1 cm.

Figure 371: Setting the spacing between the margin and the text
5) Click OK to save these settings and close the List Style dialog. Return to the Styles deck,
click the Paragraph Styles icon, choose All Styles in the list at the bottom of that
window, then right-click on Bibliography 1 and choose Modify.
6) On the Paragraph Style dialog, go to the Outline & List tab and select Bibliography in the
List Style drop-down list (Figure 372). Click OK to save this change to the Bibliography 1
paragraph style.

Figure 372: Applying a list style to a paragraph style

Now when you generate the bibliography, the list will look something like the one shown in Figure
373. You may also need to modify the structure line on the Entries tab (Figure 369).

Figure 373: Result of changing settings for Bibliography 1 paragraph style

364 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Updating, editing, and deleting an existing bibliography
Right-click anywhere in the bibliography. From the context menu, select:
• Update Index to update the bibliography.
• Edit Index to open the Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog so you can edit
and save the bibliography.
• Delete Index to delete the bibliography without a confirmation request.

External bibliography tool

If you find Writer’s bibliography feature too limited, you may wish to try Zotero, a free and open
source tool, available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It is reported to work well with Writer
(https://www.zotero.org/).

Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies | 365

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 16,
Master Documents
What is a master document?
A master document (.odm) is a container that joins separate text documents (.odt) into one larger
document and unifies the formatting, table of contents (TOC), bibliography, index, and other
material. Master documents are typically used for producing long documents such as a book, a
thesis, or a long report. Figure 374 shows a typical scheme for master documents.

Figure 374: Structure of a master document

Note
A master document is actually a Writer document with some extra features for
handling linked subdocuments. All features of a text document are available to a
master document including printing, export to PDF, and export to a conventional
Writer text document.

Why use a master document?

A master document is especially useful in these situations:
• When the file size or number of pages is quite large; writing, reviewing, and editing may
be easier when done on subsets of the full document.
• When for security and reliability reasons you choose to store chapters in different places
to minimize risks of losing the complete document (single point of failure).
• When a long report needs periodic updates of a single set of subdocuments, not affecting
the structure of the report.
• When different people are writing different chapters or other parts of the full document.

Chapter 16, Master Documents | 367

 • When files will be published as stand-alone documents as well as becoming part of a
larger document. The chapters of this Writer Guide are an example of this usage.
• When subdocuments are used in more than one final document.
You can use several methods to create master documents. Each method has its advantages and
disadvantages. Which method you choose depends on what you are trying to accomplish. The
different methods are described in this chapter, along with suggestions on when to use each one.

Master document Navigator

In Writer, the Navigator has two forms: one is used in ordinary text documents and the other in
master documents.
In an ordinary text document, the Navigator displays lists of the graphics, tables, index entries,
hyperlinks, references, and other items in the document, as shown on the left in Figure 375. The
master document Navigator on the right displays the document structure shown in Figure 374.

Figure 375: The Navigator for a text document (left) and for a master document (right)
In a master document, you can toggle between the regular and master views by clicking on the
Toggle Master View icon at the upper left. In the master view, the Navigator lists the
subdocuments and text sections, as shown on the right in Figure 375. The use of the Navigator in
a master document is covered in more detail later in this chapter (see “Step 6. Insert the
subdocuments into the master document” on page 428 and “Combining several documents into a
master document” on page 430).

Note
You cannot edit the contents of a subdocument shown in a master document. The
subdocuments are linked in read-only mode. You will be warned if you try.
However, a double-click on a subdocument entry in the master document Navigator
opens the subdocument for editing. This can be a convenient way to quickly open a
subdocument file when doing the finishing touches of the master document.

368 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Styles in master documents and subdocuments
A stand-alone document becomes a subdocument when it is linked into a master document.
A document can be used as a subdocument in several master documents. Each master
document may have different style definitions (font, type size, color, page size, margins, and so
on), which affect the appearance of the final document, but the individual documents retain their
original characteristics.
The relationships between styles in a master document and its subdocuments are as follows:
• Custom styles used in subdocuments, such as paragraph styles, are automatically
available to the master document. This preserves the custom formatting of
subdocuments in the master document final result.
• The styles in the subdocuments are only changed in the master document, so when a
subdocument is opened for editing the original subdocument styles are not affected. This
preserves subdocuments’ style specifics.
• If a style with the same name exists in the master document and in the subdocuments
(for example, Default Paragraph Style), then the master document style overrides the
style of the subdocument. This provides formatting consistency for all subdocuments
contents in the master document final result.
• If more than one subdocument uses a custom style with the same name (for example,
myBodyText), then only the one in the first subdocument to be linked is imported into the
master document. The custom style of the first subdocument over-rides the custom style
of the same name used in the other subdocuments.
• Direct formatting used in subdocuments is preserved in the master document.

Tip
Master document best practices recommend to use the same document template for
the master document and its subdocuments. Then the subdocuments will look the
same when they are loaded into the master document as they do when viewed as
individual files.
When you modify or create a style, be sure to make the change in the template.
Then when you reopen a subdocument or a master document, the styles can be
updated from the template.
If the master document and the subdocuments do not share the same original
template, it may be necessary to update the set of styles available to all
subdocuments and master document.

Updating a master document

Since master documents are containers for linking individual subdocuments, it is important to
update the master periodically to refresh indexes, table of contents, page numbering, references,
and more, especially after editing subdocuments.

Note
When opening a master document, Writer prompts to update the links to the
subdocuments. Click Yes to refresh the master document immediately.

Chapter 16, Master Documents | 369

To update the master document, choose Tools > Update > Update all (or any of the specific
elements listed in the submenu). You can also use the icons in the master document Navigator
as shown in Figure 376.

Figure 376: Update icon in the

navigator
Depending on the document complexity, this operation may take some time, as Writer will go
through all the linked files to rebuild the master document with all the references adjusted.

Note
When saving a master document, all the subdocuments are embedded in the
master. This allows the master document to be opened in full when the linked
subdocuments are not available. In this case, when you are asked if you want to
update all links, choose No.

Creating a master document: scenarios

Which method you choose from the three most common methods for creating a master
document depends on the current state of your document:
• You already have a master document template available. See “Creating a master
document template” on page 435,
• You have no existing documents but intend to write a long book containing several
chapters, possibly by multiple authors.
• You have several existing documents (chapters) by one or more authors that you want to
combine into one book, controlled by the master document.
• You have one existing document (a book) that you want to split into several
subdocuments (chapters) that will be controlled by the master document.
We will look at each of these scenarios in turn.

Starting with a master document template

As described in Chapter 10, Working with Templates, you can start a blank master document
using a master document template created previously. Ideally, the template should contain the
formatting styles, the document’s front and back covers, the table of contents, and other parts of
the final document.
1) If any text or page breaks came into this document from the template, delete the text.
(The TOC, index, and any fields in headers and footers can stay.)
2) Add the subdocuments as explained in “Step 6. Insert the subdocuments into the master
document” on page 428.
3) Update the master document so the references, table of contents, page numbering, and
other automatic operations are refreshed.

370 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Starting with no existing documents
When you start with no existing documents, you can set up everything the way you want from the
beginning. Follow these steps, in the order given. Each step is explained in detail in the following
topics.
Step 1. Plan the project
Step 2. Create a template
Step 3. Create the master document
Step 4. Create subdocuments
Step 5. Add some pages to the master document
Step 6. Insert the subdocuments into the master document
Step 7. Add table of contents, bibliography, index

Step 1. Plan the project

Although you can make changes at most steps in this process, the more you can plan before you
start, the less work you will have to correct any problems later. Here are some things you need to
plan. Figure 374 shows the structure to plan for the task.
Parts of book or report required. What pages will be in the master document and what will be in
the subdocuments? Consider as an example a book with the parts given in the table below.
Part Location
Title (cover) page In master document
Copyright page In master document
Table of contents (TOC) In master document
Preface (Foreword) Subdocument
Chapters 1 to 7 Subdocuments
‍Bibliography In master document
Index In master document

Page, paragraph, character, frame, and numbering styles. Determine the styles you wish to
use. See Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles, and Chapter 9, Working with Styles, for instructions
on how to create or modify styles and examples of the use of styles in book design. Pay
particular attention to setting up headings using styles, as described in Chapter 8.
Fields and AutoText entries, as required. See Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics, and
Chapter 17, Fields, for ideas.
One or more templates for master and subdocuments. If you are starting a new project,
create the master document and all the subdocuments from the same template. Not using the
same template can create style inconsistencies that could cause your document not to look as
you expect. For example, if two subdocuments have a style with the same name that is formatted
differently in each document, the master document will use the formatting from the first
subdocument that was added.
Page numbering. In our example, the pages are numbered sequentially from the title page. (The
title page style can be defined not to show the page number, but it will still count as page 1.)
Therefore the first chapter begins on a higher number page, for example page 5. To create a
book in which the page numbering restarts at 1 for the first chapter, you need to do some
additional work. See “Restarting page numbering” on page 432.

Chapter 16, Master Documents | 371

Step 2. Create a template
You can create a template from an existing document or template that contains some or all of the
page, paragraph, character, and other styles you want for this document, or you can create the
template from a blank document. For more about templates, see Chapter 10, Working with
Templates. Be sure to use File > Save As Template when creating the template.

Tip
You can also create master document templates; see page 435.

Step 3. Create the master document

It does not matter in what order you create the master and subdocuments, and you do not have
to create all the subdocuments at the same time, when you are starting the project. You can add
new subdocuments at any time, as you need them.
Follow this process to create the master document:
1) Open a new document from the template you created in Step 2. Create a template, by
choosing File > New > Templates, then selecting the template you created. Be sure the
first page of this new document is set to the page style you want for the first page of the
final document. In our example, the style for the first page is Title page.
2) If any text or page breaks came into this document from the template, delete the text.
(The TOC, index, and any fields in headers and footers can stay.)
3) Click File > Send > Create Master Document. Save the master document in the folder
for this project. We will return to this master document later. For now, you can either leave
it open or close it.

Note
Using File > New > Master Document will create a master document file (.odm)
associated with the default template. If your document is, or will be, based on a
custom template, use the method described above.

Step 4. Create subdocuments

A subdocument is no different from any other text document. It becomes a subdocument only
when it is linked into a master document and opened from within the master document. It can still
be used as a stand-alone document. Some settings in the master document will override the
settings in a subdocument, but only when the document is being viewed, manipulated, or printed
through the master document.
Create a subdocument in the same way as you create any ordinary document:
1) Open a blank document based on the project template (very important) by choosing File
> New > Templates, then selecting the required template.
2) Delete any unwanted text or other material that was brought in from the template, and set
the first page to the page style you specified for the first page of a chapter.
3) Click File > Save As. Give the document a suitable name and save it in the folder for this
project.
If you already have some of the chapters written, the files may not be based on the template you
just created for this project. Although you can use the existing files as subdocuments as they are,
you may want to change the template attached to those files; if so, use the technique described
in Chapter 10, Working with Templates.

372 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Step 5. Add some pages to the master document
To assist you, do the following:
• Make sure paragraph marks are showing. You can set them in Tools > Options >
LibreOffice Writer > Formatting Aids, or click the Toggle Formatting Marks icon on
the Standard toolbar, or press Ctrl+F10.
• Show text boundaries, table boundaries, and section boundaries (Tools > Options >
LibreOffice > Application Colors).
If your master document does not contain any required “front matter” such as a title page,
copyright page, or TOC page, add them now. The example in this section uses the sequence of
page styles given in “Step 1. Plan the project” on page 425.
1) Open the master document (.odm file) you created and type the contents of the title page
(or leave placeholders and fill in later). With the insertion point in the last blank paragraph
on the page, click Insert > More Breaks > Manual Break. On the Insert Break dialog,
select Page break and the page style for the second page (Copyright Page in our
example), and leave the Change page number option deselected. Click OK.

Figure 377: Inserting a page break between

the title page and the copyright page
2) Type the contents of the copyright page (or leave placeholders). With the insertion point in
the last blank paragraph on the page, use the same method to insert another manual
page break, this time setting the page style to Table of Contents page.
3) On the Table of Contents page, leave a blank paragraph or two or insert a TOC (Insert >
Table of Contents and Index > Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography). The TOC
will not have any contents until you add the subdocuments, but a gray mark or box
indicates its location. For more about inserting and formatting TOCs, see Chapter 15,
Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies.

Note
Depending on the style definitions for the first paragraph (usually a heading) on the
Copyright and TOC pages, you may not need to insert manual page breaks.

Chapter 16, Master Documents | 373

Step 6. Insert the subdocuments into the master document
Now we are ready to add the subdocuments.

Tip
Subdocuments are inserted into a master document before the item highlighted in
the Navigator. If you insert the last subdocument first, and then insert the other
subdocuments before the last one, they will end up in the correct sequence without
the necessity of moving them up or down in the list.

1) Display the Navigator (click the Navigator icon on the Sidebar).

2) Be sure the Navigator is showing the Master View (see “Error: Reference source not
found” on page Error: Reference source not found). If necessary, click the Toggle Master
View icon at the upper left to switch between regular and master views.
3) On the Navigator, select Text, then click Insert > File on the Navigator toolbar, or right-
click on Text and select Insert > File in the context menu.

Figure 378: Inserting a subdocument into a

master document using the Navigator
A standard file browser dialog opens. Select the required file (which you created in Step
4) and click Insert. This example uses seven chapters; we will load Chapter 7 first, as
suggested in the Tip above.
The inserted file is listed in the Navigator before the Text item, as shown in Figure 379.

Figure 379: Navigator after inserting one subdocument

4) Because the Text section contains the title page and other material, highlight it and click
the Move Up icon to move it to the top of the list. (Or, highlight the subdocument you just
inserted (Chapter 7) and click the Move Down icon to move it below the Text section.)
5) Highlight the subdocument you just inserted (Chapter 7), then click Insert > File to insert
the first subdocument; in this example, Chapter 1. Chapter 7 remains highlighted. Repeat
with Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and so on until all the subdocuments have been added to the
list. You can insert several several files at the same time. The Navigator will now look
something like Figure 380.
6) Save the master document again.

374 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Tip
You can reorder the subdocuments in the master document by dragging and
dropping the subdocument entry in the Navigator.

Figure 380: The Navigator showing a

series of files in a master document

Step 7. Add table of contents, bibliography, index

You can generate a table of contents, bibliography, or index for the book, using the master
document. You must insert these items into a text section in the master document. For more
about these document elements, see Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies.
In case you did not insert a table of contents in step 5, position the cursor on the page in the first
text section where the table of contents is to go and choose Insert > Table of Contents and
Index > Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography to create it.
If you do not have a Text section at the end of the master document, insert one before the last
subdocument, then move it down so it is after the last subdocument. Now, if you have included
bibliographic entries in your subdocuments, you can put the insertion point on the page in this
last text section where the bibliography is to go and create the bibliography.
If you have included index entries in your subdocuments, put the insertion point on the page in
the last text section where the index is to go and create the index.
Figure 381 shows the Navigator after addition of a TOC and index.

Figure 381: Navigator showing subdocuments, table

of contents, and index in a master document

Chapter 16, Master Documents | 375

Combining several documents into a master document
When you have several existing documents, you can combine them into one document controlled
by a master document.
This method works best when all of the documents were created from the same template, but
you can also use it when the documents have been created from different templates. This
method is especially useful when the subdocuments are created or maintained by multiple
writers. For example, you might be creating an anthology of short stories, a book of symposium
papers, or a set of engineering test results with a standard company title page.
We will use a book of engineering test results as an example.

Tip
You could create a master document template (see page 435) and use it as the
starting point for this method. In that case, skip steps 1 and 2 and start with step 3.

1) Open the title page document that you plan to use as the master document. To avoid
creating too many subdocuments when this document is converted to a master
document, have only one level 1 heading present. If there are more, temporarily change
them to lower level headings and note which they are (add, for example, an asterisk at
the end of each heading to remind you which have to revert to level 1 headings later).
2) Select File > Send > Create Master Document, name and save this master document
(see “How to do it” on page 431).
Let us assume the original document was named FrontPage with a single Level 1
heading, and that when we created the master document (.odm file) we named it TestFile.
In this case, the master document is a blank file containing only one section. Also created
at the same time was a subdocument named TestFile1, which is a .odt file containing the
text from the FrontPage file. When you open the .odm file and click Yes to update all
links, this file is linked in to the master document to provide the original content.
The original FrontPage file is left intact in its folder.

Figure 382: TestFile documents created from FrontPage

3) Open the master document and click Yes to update links. The master document opens
with the Navigator showing by default (see “Master document Navigator“ on page 422
and “Step 6. Insert the subdocuments into the master document“ on page 428 for more
detailed information).
4) Click Insert > File.

376 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 383: Adding files to the master document
5) Navigate to the location of the test results files (Results1.odt, Results2.odt, and so on).
Select the first file to insert, Results1.odt for example, and click Insert. The file is inserted
above the existing entry.
6) Click the Move Up icon to have the TestFile1 text above the Results1 text (file contents
are inserted above the selected file in the master document).
7) Repeat from step 4 as often as required. It does not matter which file is highlighted in the
master document when you insert the next one, just select the inserted file and use the
Move Up or Move Down icons to position it as required.

Figure 384: Moving subdocuments

8) To edit the master document, to perhaps add a serial number and a client's name, in the
master document right-click TestFile1.odt and select Edit in the context menu. Add the
required content to the file that opens, save and close the file (see “Editing a master
document” on page 434 for more detailed information).
9) Select Tools > Update > Links on the Menu bar, or click Update > Links in the
Navigator and click Yes to confirm. All the edits in the master document will now show.

Splitting a document into master and subdocuments

When you have one existing document that you want to split into a master document and several
subdocuments, you can have Writer split the document automatically at headings with an outline
level of your choice.
Although this method is quick and easy, some cleanup work may be necessary.
The automatically generated file names for the subdocuments are maindocnameX.odt, where X
is 1, 2, 3, and so on. If you have a Preface or other “chapter” starting with a Heading 1 before
Chapter 1, the file names will not directly correspond to the chapter numbers. You may wish to
rename the subdocuments; see “Adding, deleting, or renaming subdocuments” on page 434.
How to do it
1) Open the document and choose File > Send > Create Master Document.
2) On the Name and Path of Master Document dialog (Figure 385):

Chapter 16, Master Documents | 377

 a) Navigate to the folder where you want to save the master document and its
subdocuments (or create a new folder).
b) Type a name for the master document in the File name box.
c) In the separated by: list, choose the outline level where the file should be split into
subdocuments. Usually this is Outline: Level 1 for a chapter heading, but your
document may be structured differently. For more information about outline levels,
see Chapter 8, Introduction to Styles.
d) Leave the Automatic file name extension option selected, and click Save to split
the document into subdocuments and create the master document.

Figure 385: Splitting a document into master and subdocuments

If you selected Outline: Level 1 and the paragraph style at that level is Heading 1, each of the
subdocuments begins with a Heading 1 paragraph.

Restarting page numbering

The examples in the previous sections showed a very basic collection of files with sequential
page numbering. This is useful for many documents, including e-books, but a typical printed book
has the following sequence of page numbers:
• No page numbers on cover page or copyright page.
• Lower-case roman numerals in the front matter, starting with i.
• Arabic numerals in the body of the document, starting with 1.
• Page numbering sequential through the rest of the book.
To set up a master document to produce such a book, you need to define a different paragraph
style for the heading of the first chapter and assign two special characteristics to it.
Example
Each chapter may start with a Heading 1 paragraph, set up in the Breaks section of the Text Flow
tab of the Paragraph Style dialog to start on a new page (Figure 386). The Page number
checkbox is not selected, so numbering continues from the number of the previous page.

378 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 386: Breaks section of Text Flow tab
of Paragraph Style dialog for Heading 1
Look on the Outline & List tab (Figure 387) of this dialog to see what outline level Heading 1 is
assigned to. Usually this will be Outline level: Level 1. The level cannot be changed here
because it has been set in Tools > Chapter Numbering.

Figure 387: Outline & List tab of Paragraph Style

dialog for Heading 1
Only one paragraph style can be assigned to Outline Level 1 through Tools > Chapter
Numbering. However, you can assign additional paragraph styles to any outline level by using
the Outline & List tab on the Paragraph Style dialog.
Therefore, you want to define a style called Heading 1 Chapter 1 that is identical in appearance
to Heading 1 but has one essential difference:
1) Right-click Heading 1 in the Paragraph Styles section of the Styles tab in the Sidebar, and
select New. On the Organizer tab of the Paragraph Style dialog, name the new style,
select the next style, and be sure Inherit from shows Heading 1.

Figure 388: Organizer tab for the new style

2) On the Text Flow tab, in the Breaks section (Figure 386), select Insert, Type: Page,
Position: Before, With Page Style: First Page, and Page number: 1.
3) On the Outline & List tab, set the Outline level to Level 1 (Figure 389). This ensures that
the heading will appear in the Table of Contents along with the other chapter headings.
The List Style for this heading is No List, as it was not assigned an outline level through
the Outline Numbering dialog.

Chapter 16, Master Documents | 379

 Figure 389: Assign the style to Outline level 1
4) Now, assign the new style to the first paragraph of Chapter 1, and you’re done.

Editing a master document

After creating a master document, you may want to change its appearance or contents.

Changing the appearance of the master document

You can change the styles in the template as your project develops. Do not make changes to
styles in the master document or in any of the subdocuments; make those changes in the
template.
To update the master document (and all of the subdocuments) with changes to the template,
open the master document. You will get two messages: first, to ask if you want to update all links;
and second, if you want to apply the changed styles. Answer Yes to both of these messages.

Editing subdocuments
You cannot edit a subdocument from within the master document. Instead, you must open the
subdocument, either by double-clicking on it in the master document’s Navigator, or by opening it
from outside the master document. Then you can edit it just as you would edit any other
document.
If, while editing a subdocument, you want to make changes to the styles that apply to the master
document, see “Changing the appearance of the master document” above.
If you change the contents of any subdocument, you need to manually update the table of
contents, bibliography, and index from within the master document.

Adding, deleting, or renaming subdocuments

To add a subdocument, follow the method described in “Step 6. Insert the subdocuments into the
master document“ on page 428.
To delete a subdocument, right-click its file name in the Navigator and choose Delete.
If you rename a subdocument by changing its file name, the next time you update links in the
master document, that subdocument will show up in the Navigator as a broken link (shown in
red). To fix this, you can either change back the name of the file (the link will be restored in the
next update) or follow these steps:
1) Right-click the broken link in the Navigator and choose Edit link.
2) In the Edit Sections dialog (Figure 390), select the renamed file, and edit the name of the
section (which is the name shown in the Navigator).
3) Click OK to save the changes.

380 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 390: Editing a link in a master document

Creating a master document template

A master document template is created in much the same way as any other template, described
in Chapter 10, Working with Templates:
1) First, create the master document using File > Send > Create Master Document, as
described in earlier sections of this chapter.
2) Then, use File > Templates > Save as Template to create the template (.otm), which will
then be listed in the Templates dialog along with other templates.

Tip
Include in the name you give a master document template some indication that it is
not an ordinary template.

Creating one file from a master document and its

subdocuments
Master documents are .odm files containing linked subdocuments, which are in .odt format.
Although linked files are very useful when writing and editing a large document such as a book,
sometimes you might need to have a copy of the entire book in one file, for example when
sending it to a publisher.
To export a master document to a .odt file (without affecting the original .odm file):
1) Open the master document and update all links. Choose File > Export on the Menu bar.
2) On the Export dialog (Figure 391), type a name for the exported .odt file and choose ODF
Text Document (.odt) in the File format list (it should be the default choice). Click
Export. This step creates an .odt file, with each subdocument in a separate write-
protected section.
3) Close the master document and open the new .odt file, updating all links.
4) To break the links and remove the write protection, go to Format > Sections, select the
first item in the Section list, then Shift+click on the last item in the list in order to select
all the items. Deselect both Link in the Link section and Protect in the Write Protection
section.
5) Click OK.
If you wish to eliminate some or all of the sections to have a plain text document, select the
sections you wish to remove, and click Remove. The contents of those sections remain in the
document; only the section markers are removed. Click OK.

Chapter 16, Master Documents | 381

 Figure 391: Exporting a master document to an Open Document Text (.odt) file

Anchoring images
An image (graphic) anchored To page in a subdocument is not displayed in a master document.
Because the master document reorganizes the page flow, page numbers, and cross-references
when it collates the subdocuments, the image loses its anchor reference and disappears.
In contrast, an image anchored To page in a text section of a master document stays with that
page and does not move if the length of subdocuments changes. The image may end up on a
page somewhere in the middle of a subdocument, not where you want it to be.

Note
The anchor “to page” is deprecated. Avoid using it.

To keep an image positioned precisely on a particular page, anchor the image as follows:
1) Right-click the image and choose Properties in the context menu.
2) On the Type tab of the Image dialog (Figure 392), set the anchor to To character, As
character, or To paragraph.
3) Under Position, choose suitable horizontal and vertical references to the page. Click OK
to save the changes.

Figure 392: Anchoring an image and setting its position on a page

382 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 17,
Fields
Introduction
Fields are used for a variety of purposes: for example, data that changes (such as the current
date or the total number of pages) or might change (the name of a product or book under
development), user-defined numbering sequences, automatic cross-references, and conditional
content (words or paragraphs that are visible or printed in some conditions but not others). Index
entries are also fields.
This chapter describes some common uses of fields. A full discussion of fields and their use is
beyond the scope of this book. Power users can find more details in the application Help.

Tip
Fields have a gray background when viewed on screen, unless you have deselected
View > Field shadings on the Menu bar or changed the color of field shadings in
Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Application Colors. This gray background does
not show when you print the file or export to PDF.

Keyboard shortcuts for fields

Here are some handy keyboard shortcuts to use when working with fields:
Ctrl+F2 Open the Fields dialog.
Ctrl+F8 Turn field shadings on or off.
Ctrl+F9 Show or hide field names.
F9 Update fields.

Quick and easy field entry

To quickly insert common fields into your document, choose Insert > Page Number or Insert >
Field on the Menu bar and selecting the required field in the submenu.

Figure 393: Inserting common fields

Using document properties to hold metadata and information

that changes
The Properties dialog (File > Properties) for a document has six tabs. The information on the
General tab and the Statistics tab is generated by the program. Some information (the name of
the person on the Created and Modified lines of the General tab) is derived from the User Data
page in Tools > Options > LibreOffice. The options on the Font and Security tabs are discussed
elsewhere in this book.

384 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Use the Description and Custom Properties tabs for:
• Metadata to assist in classifying, sorting, storing, and retrieving documents. Some of this
metadata is exported to the closest equivalent in HTML and PDF; some fields have no
equivalent and are not exported.
• Information that changes. You can store data for use in fields in your document; for
example, the title of the document, contact information for a project participant, or the
name of a product might change during the course of a project.
This dialog can be used in a template, where the field names can serve as reminders to writers of
information they need to include. (Placeholders can serve a similar function within the text; see
page 459.)
You can return to this dialog at any time and change the information you entered. When you do
so, all of the references to that information will change wherever they appear in the document.
For example, on the Description tab (Figure 394) you might need to change the contents of the
Title field from the draft title to the production title.

Figure 394: The Description tab of the document’s Properties dialog

Use the Custom Properties tab (Figure 395) to store information that does not fit into the fields
supplied on the other tabs of this dialog.

Figure 395: Custom Properties tab

When the Custom Properties tab is first opened in a new document, it may be blank. If the new
document is based on a template, this tab may contain fields.
Click the Add Property button in the lower right of the tab (not shown in illustration) to insert a
row of boxes where you can enter your custom properties.
• The Name box includes a drop-down list of typical choices; scroll down to see all the
choices. If none of the choices meet your needs, you can type a new name into the box.
• In the Type column, you can choose from Text, DateTime, Date, Duration, Number, or
Yes or no for each field. You cannot create new types.
• In the Value column, type or select what you want to appear in the document where this
field is used. Choices may be limited to specific data types depending on the selection in
the Type column; for example, if the Type selection is Date, the Value for that property is
limited to a date.

Chapter 17, Fields | 385

To remove a custom property, click the button at the right-hand end of the row.

Tip
To change the format of the Date value, go to Tools > Options > Language
Settings > Languages and change the Locale setting.

Using other fields to hold information that changes

One way that people use fields is to hold information that is likely to change during the course of
a project. For example, the name of a manager, a product, or even your entire company may
change. If you have inserted the changeable information as fields, you can change the
information in one place, and it will automatically change in all the places where that field occurs.
Writer provides several places where you can store the information referred to by a field. We will
look at some of them here.
Seven document properties (Page Number, Page Count, Date, Time, Title, First Author, and
Subject) are on the Insert > Field menu (Figure 393). To insert one of these fields, click it in the
menu. Some of these fields get their information from the Document Properties dialog (Figure
394).
Other document properties are on the DocInformation and Document tabs of the Fields dialog
(Figures 396 and 397), reached by choosing Insert > Field > More Fields or pressing Ctrl+F2.
The Custom item in the Type list on the DocInformation tab is derived from the Custom
Properties tab of the Document Properties dialog (Figure 395); it does not appear on the list if no
custom properties have been defined.
Some of the field values are picked up from the User Data page of the Tools > Options >
LibreOffice dialog, so make sure the information on that page is correct.
To insert one of these fields, select it in the Type list and then select in the Select and Format lists
if choices appear. Finally, click Insert.

Figure 396: Inserting a Date Modified field using the DocInformation tab of the Fields dialog

386 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Figure 397: Inserting a File name field using the Document tab of the Fields dialog

Tip
You can make the content fixed by selecting Fixed content (see Figure 396, lower
right) when inserting the field. If necessary, you can come back to this dialog later
and deselect this option to make the field variable again. For example, if you use a
field to insert the creation date of a document, you do not want that date to change.

Using AutoText to insert often-used fields

If you use the same fields often, you can use AutoText as a quick and easy way to insert them.
To define an AutoText entry for a field:
1) Insert a field into your document, as described previously.
2) Select the field you inserted, and then choose Tools > AutoText (or press Ctrl+F3).

Figure 398: Creating a new AutoText entry

Chapter 17, Fields | 387

 3) On the AutoText dialog (Figure 398), choose the group where this new entry will be stored
(in this example, My AutoText), type a name for the entry, and change the suggested
shortcut if you wish.
4) Click the AutoText button and click New to have the entry inserted as a field. Do not
choose New (text only) because the AutoText entry will be plain text, not a field. (The
New selections do not appear until you have selected a group and typed a name for the
entry.)
5) Click Close to close the AutoText dialog.
To insert this field at the cursor position, type the shortcut and press F3.

Defining your own numbering sequences

You may want to define your own numbering sequences to use in situations where you do not
always want the number at the start of the paragraph, or where you want more control than the
built-in numbering choices give you, or where list styles do not do what you want.
This topic describes how to create a numbering sequence, using a number range variable field.
To create a number range variable using Arabic (1 2 3) numbers:
1) Position the cursor in a blank paragraph in your document.
2) Choose Insert > Field > More Fields or press Ctrl+F2, then select the Variables tab
(Figure 399).

Figure 399: Defining a number range variable

3) In the Type list, select Number range. In the Format list, select Arabic (1 2 3). Type
whatever you want in the Name field. (We have used Step in this example.)
4) Click Insert. The name of the variable (Step) now appears in the Selection list, and a
number field (showing 1) appears at the insertion point in your document. The Fields
dialog remains open.
5) If you click several more times on the Insert button in the Fields dialog, the numbers 2, 3,
4, and so on will appear in the document.

388 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 6) You can now delete the fields you inserted; the Step sequence remains in the Select box
in the Fields dialog (in this document only). You can insert this field at any place in the
document.

Tip
To avoid doing all of that every time you want to put in a Step number, create an
AutoText entry for Step. Then you can insert the field in the same way you would
insert any other AutoText. See “Using AutoText to insert often-used fields” on page
444.

Tip
If a user-defined variable is not in use in the document, the X icon next to the Value
box is active. You can delete the variable by clicking this icon. To remove a variable
that is used in the current document, first delete from the document all fields using
that variable, and then remove the variable from the list.

Using automatic cross-references

If you type in cross-references to other parts of the document, those references can easily get
out of date if you reword a heading, add or remove figures, or reorganize topics. Replace any
typed cross-references with automatic ones and all the references will update automatically to
show the current wording or page/figure/table numbers.
The Cross-references tab of the Fields dialog (Figure 400) lists some items, such as headings,
numbered paragraphs, and bookmarks. If figure captions, table captions, user-defined number
range variables, and some other items have been defined in a document, that type also appears
in the list.
You can shorten the list of items shown in the Selection box if you know a word or phrase that
appears in the item required: type the word or phrase in the Filter Selection box.

Figure 400: The Cross-references tab of the Fields dialog

Chapter 17, Fields | 389

 Tip
Some people use Writer’s Hyperlink feature for cross-references. However, the
visible text of the hyperlink does not change if you change the text of the item to
which it links. For that reason, you may wish to use cross-references in most
situations. The exception is when the document is to be saved as HTML; cross-
references do not become hyperlinks in a HTML document, so you need to use
hyperlinks in the Writer document.

Inserting cross-references
To insert a cross-reference to a heading, figure, or other item shown on the Cross-references tab:
1) Place the cursor where you want the cross-reference to appear in the document.
2) If the Fields dialog is not open, choose Insert > Cross-reference or press Ctrl+F2. On
the Cross-references tab (Figure 400), in the Type list, click the type of item you are
referencing (for example, Headings or Figure).
3) Click the required item in the Selection list, which shows both automatically created
entries (for example, Headings) and user-defined references (for example, bookmarks).
4) In the Refer using list, choose the type of reference required. The choices vary with the
item being referenced (see “Formats for cross-references” below).
5) Click Insert.

Formats for cross-references

For all types of cross-reference, you can select from the following formats:
• Page number (unstyled): the page number of the target, without using formatting
specified in the page style.
• Chapter: the number of the chapter where the referenced target is located.
• Referenced text: the full text set as a reference or bookmark.
• “Above”/“Below”: the word above or below depending on the position of the field
relative to the referenced target.
• Page number (styled): the page number of the target, using the formatting specified in
the page style. This is very useful when putting a reference to a page in the front matter
where roman numerals are usually employed.
For headings or numbered paragraphs, three additional options are available:
• Number: Inserts the number of the heading or numbered paragraph, including superior
levels depending on the context.4
• Number (no context): inserts only the number of the heading or of the numbered
paragraph. For example, if referencing a numbered item 2.4, it inserts 4.
• Number (full context): inserts the full number including higher hierarchical levels. For
example, if referencing a numbered item 2.4, the full numbering (2.4) is inserted.

4 For example, when you are in a chapter 1, subchapter 2, subpart 5, this may be numbered as 1.2.5.
When you insert here a reference to text in the previous subpart "1.2.4" and you apply the "Number"
format, then the reference will be shown as "4". If in this example the numbering is set to show more
sublevels, the same reference will be shown as "2.4" or "1.2.4", depending on the setting. If you use
the "Number (full context)" format, you will always see "1.2.4", no matter how the numbered paragraph
is formatted.

390 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

For objects inserted with captions such as a table or a figure, you can also choose:
• Category and Number: inserts both the category and number of the referenced object
(for example, Figure 6). This is the most used formatting for figures and tables.
• Caption Text: inserts the full caption of the referenced object. For example, Figure 6:
This is an example figure.
• Numbering: inserts the sequential number of the referenced object, without the category
(for example, if referencing Table 2, the field will contain only the number 2).

Preparing items as targets for cross-referencing

If you want to insert a cross-reference to something that is not automatically shown on the Cross-
references tab, for example an illustration without a caption or an item in a bullet list, you must
first prepare the item as a target to be referenced. To do this, you can use a bookmark or set a
reference. After a target has been defined, you can cross-reference to it as described in
“Inserting cross-references” on page 447.

Note
Both bookmarks and set references can now be used for either location or text. In
previous versions of LibreOffice, bookmarks could be used only for location
references.

Using bookmarks
Bookmarks are listed in the Navigator and can be accessed directly from there. In HTML
documents, bookmarks are converted to anchors that you can jump to using a hyperlink.
See “Managing bookmarks” on page 452 for more information about bookmarks, including
renaming and editing them.
1) Select the text you want to bookmark, or click in the required place in the text. Choose
Insert > Bookmark on the Menu bar.
2) On the Bookmark dialog (Figure 408), the larger box lists any previously defined
bookmarks. Type a name for this new bookmark in the top box (or accept the default
name) and click Insert.
3) You can leave the Bookmark dialog open while you insert more bookmarks. When you
are done, click Close.

Setting references
Set references are inserted and managed on the Cross-references tab of the Fields dialog.
1) Select the text you want to bookmark, or click in the required place in the text. Choose
Insert > Cross-reference on the Menu bar.
2) On the Cross-references tab of the Fields dialog (Figure 401), select Set Reference in
the Type list. The Selection list now shows any references that have been defined. This
dialog can remain open while you set several items as references.
3) The text of the item appears in the Value box in the lower right of the dialog. In the Name
box, type some text by which you can identify this item. This field name is case-sensitive.
4) Click Insert. The text you typed in the Name box now appears in the Selection list.
5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 as often as required.
6) Click Close to save and exit the dialog.

Chapter 17, Fields | 391

Figure 401: Setting text to be used as a target for a cross-reference

Cross-referencing between subdocuments

You might want to include automatically updated cross-references between subdocuments in a
master document. This topic describes how to do this using set references. The process is similar
when using bookmarks.

Preparing the references

Follow the procedure described in “Preparing items as targets for cross-referencing” on page 448
for all items to be targets of cross-references. In this case you need to include headings, figure
captions, and other items, because they will not be listed automatically as they are for items
within one document.

Tip
Keep a list of your names for the reference fields, and be sure each name is unique
– not just within one document, but for all the documents involved. One way to keep
track of this information is to save it in a separate file or spreadsheet.
The field names are case-sensitive. You can check the field name by holding the
mouse pointer over the referenced item. For example, in Figure 402 the heading has
the field name word count.

Figure 402: Finding the field name for a set reference

Inserting the cross-references

1) In the document, place the cursor where you want the cross-reference to appear. Click
Insert > Cross Reference.

392 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 2) On the Cross-references tab of the Fields dialog (Figure 403), select Insert Reference in
the Type list on the left. Select Referenced text in the Refer using list.

Figure 403: Fields dialog showing manual entry of field name

3) The Selection list on the right shows only the reference field names (if any) for the
subdocument you are using, so ignore that list and check the list you created manually in
“Preparing the references” above. In the Name field in the lower right, type the name of
the reference you set in the subdocument you are referring to. In our example, the name
of the reference is word count.
4) Click Insert, type any text you want to appear between the reference and page number
(such as “on page ”), and then insert another reference with Page number (unstyled) in
the Refer using list. The cross-references will show an error as shown in Figure 404.
When you hover the mouse pointer over one of these fields, you will see the field name.
(You can turn on the display of field codes by clicking View > Field Names. The two error
fields shown in Figure 404 now look like Figure 405.)
5) After you have inserted all the cross-references required in the subdocument, click Close
to save it and return to the master document window.

Figure 404: Viewing the field name

Figure 405: Displaying field codes

6) Select Tools > Update > Links on the Menu bar, or click Update > Links in the
Navigator. All the edits in the master document will now show. Within the master
document, navigate to the page of the subdocument on which you inserted the cross-
reference field.

Chapter 17, Fields | 393

You should now see the text of the cross-reference appear in the spot where you inserted it. If it
does not work, save the master document, close it, and open it again, updating the links. (If you
open the subdocument for editing, the error message in Figure 404 will be shown.)

Figure 406: Field contents visible

This technique also works if you open a subdocument directly in step 2 (that is, not from within
the master document) and insert a cross-reference field.

Using fields in headers and footers

You can insert fields into headers or footers, using techniques described earlier in this chapter:
• To insert a page number, document title, author, creation date and time, current date and
time, or total page count field, use Document Properties (see page 441) or choose Insert
> Field > [item] on the Menu bar.
• To insert a cross-reference to a bookmark, heading, or other item, you can use Insert >
Cross-reference or Insert > Field > More Fields > Cross-references (tab).
• If you have used Heading 1 for your chapter titles, you can use a Document field to insert
the current chapter title, so the header or footer contents change from one chapter to the
next. See Figure 407. (Writer calls chapter titles Chapter names.) If you have used
outline numbering on your Heading 1, you can choose whether to include these numbers
in the field (Chapter number and name). Use Insert > Field > More Fields > Document.

Figure 407: Inserting the current chapter number and name into your document
• You can insert cross-references to other heading levels by specifying a value in the Level
box in the lower right of the Document tab of the Fields dialog (Figure 407). That is,
Level 1 = Heading 1, Level 2 = Heading 2, and so on.

394 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Note
A cross-reference field in the header of a page picks up the first heading of that level
on the page. A field in the footer picks up the last heading of that level on the page.

You can add a page count to the footer; for example, Page 9 of 12. Type the word Page and a
space in front of the Page field. Type a space, the word of, and a space after the Page field. Then
choose Insert > Field > Page Count.
To include the chapter number with the page number:
1) Position the cursor just before the Page field you inserted. On the Document tab of the
Fields dialog, select Chapter in the Type column and Chapter number without
separator in the Format column. Click Insert.
2) Go to the header or footer where you inserted this field and type the character you want
to appear between the chapter number and the page number; for example, a hyphen.
3) The table of contents will not automatically pick up these chapter numbers, so you need
to make a change on the Entries tab of the Table of Contents, Index or Bibliography
dialog, as described in Chapter 15, Tables of Contents, Indexes, Bibliographies.

Managing bookmarks
Bookmarks have been enhanced in LibreOffice 7.5. In previous versions, bookmarks could be
used only for location references. Now they also can be used for text references.
Text enclosed by a bookmark can be edited in the Bookmark dialog (Figure 408) as well as in the
document itself. When you edit text in the dialog, it is also edited in the document. If you have
change tracking on, the change is tracked in the document.
To use the Bookmark dialog to edit the text of a bookmark:
1) Open the Bookmarks list in the Navigator, right-click on the name of a bookmark, and
select Edit in the context menu. The Bookmark dialog opens with that bookmark selected.
You can select any bookmark in the list when the dialog is open.
2) With the required bookmark selected, click the Edit Text button. The text of the selected
bookmark is highlighted in the Text column.
3) Click in the highlighted text in the dialog to edit it. Click Close when done.

Figure 408: Bookmark dialog

Chapter 17, Fields | 395

To edit the name of a bookmark, you can right-click it in the Navigator and select Rename in the
context menu, or you can select it in the Bookmark dialog and click the Rename button. A small
dialog opens. Type the new name, or edit the existing name, and click OK to save.
To locate a bookmark in the document, you can right-click it in the Navigator and select Go to in
the context menu, or you can select it in the Bookmark dialog and click the Go to button. The
cursor jumps to the bookmark’s location, with the bookmark highlighted.
Other bookmark enhancements are for metadata visualization, accessibility, and visibility of
bookmark locations in a document. For details on those features, see the release notes,
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/7.5#Bookmarks

Developing conditional content

Conditional content is text and graphics that are included or excluded from a document
depending on a condition you specify.
A simple example is a reminder letter for an overdue account. The first and second reminders
might have a subject line of “Reminder Notice”, but the third reminder letter might have the
subject “Final Notice” and a different final paragraph.
A more complex example is a software manual for a product that comes in two versions, Pro and
Lite. Both product versions have much in common, but the Pro version includes some features
that are not in the Lite version. If you use conditional content, you can maintain one file
containing information for both versions and print (or create online help) customized for each
version. You do not have to maintain two sets of the information that is the same for both
versions, so you will not forget to update both versions when something changes.

Tip
In some cases, the same effect can be obtained by hiding a paragraph or character
style; see Chapter 9, Working with Styles.

Choose the types of conditional content to use

This section describes several Writer features that can help you design and maintain conditional
content. You can use one or any combination of these features in the same document.
Conditional text
With conditional text, you can have two alternative texts (a word, phrase, or sentence).
One text will be displayed and printed if the condition you specify is met, and the other will
be displayed and printed if the condition is not met. You cannot include graphics or edit
the text except in the Field dialog (not in the body of the document). You also cannot
format part of the text (for example, bold one word but not the others), but you can format
the field to affect all of the field contents (for example, making all of the words bold or
italic). You cannot include a cross-reference or other field in the text.
Hidden text
With hidden text (a word, phrase, or sentence), you have only two choices: show or hide.
If the condition you specify is met, the text is hidden; if the condition is not met, the text is
displayed. The disadvantages are the same as for conditional text: you cannot include
graphics, edit the text in the body of the document, format part of the text, or include a
field.
Hidden paragraphs
Hidden paragraphs are like other paragraphs, but you can specify a condition under
which the paragraph is not displayed or printed. You can include graphics, edit the text in
the body of the document, format any part of the text, and include fields.

396 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 A blank paragraph can also be hidden, for example if a database field has no content for
the current record. This is useful when merging an address into a letter: if you allow two
lines for the street address and the database record uses only one line, you can prevent
the blank line from appearing in the document.
Hidden sections
Hidden sections are like hidden paragraphs, but they can include more than one
paragraph, for example, a heading plus one or more paragraphs. However, a section
cannot contain less than a paragraph, so you cannot use this method for single words or
phrases. The contents of a hidden section behave just like the contents of any other part
of the document, but you can specify a condition under which the section is not displayed
or printed. In addition, you can password protect a section.

Plan your conditional content

Conditions are what programmers call logical expressions. You must formulate a logical
expression for each condition because a condition is always either true (met) or false (not met).
You can use the same condition in many places in your document, for different types of
conditional content.
To make conditional content work, you need to choose or define a variable and define a logical
expression (condition) involving the selected variable.

Choose or define a variable

You can use the following variables in your condition:
• User-defined variables
• Predefined LibreOffice variables, which use statistical values from the document
properties
• User data
• Database field contents—for example, from your address book
You cannot use internal variables (for example, page number or chapter name) to formulate
conditions.

Define a logical expression (condition) involving the variable

The condition compares a specified fixed value with the contents of a variable or database field.
To formulate a condition, use the same elements as you would to create a formula: operators,
mathematical and statistical functions, number formats, variables, and constants. The possible
operators, and many examples of use, are given in the Help. You can define quite complex
expressions, but in most cases a simple condition will do the job.

Create the variable

To create the variable, you can use choices found on the DocInformation, Variables, and
Database tabs of the Fields dialog.

DocInformation fields
“Using document properties to hold metadata and information that changes” on page 441
described how to set up a custom document property. You can use that document property as the
variable in your condition statement.

User-defined variable field

To set up a variable or user field:
1) Place the cursor where you want the field to be inserted.

Chapter 17, Fields | 397

 2) On the Fields dialog, select the Variables tab (Figure 409).
3) Select Set variable in the Type list and Text in the Format list. Type a name for the
variable in the Name box, and a value in the Value box. In this example ProLite is chosen
for the name (as a reminder that this variable is related to the two product versions), and
the value is set as Lite to remember “If it is the Lite version, then this text should be
hidden.”
4) Select Invisible so the field does not show in the document. Click Insert, then click
Close. A small gray mark will appear where you inserted the field.

Figure 409: Defining a variable to use with conditional content

Tip
Because the gray mark is so small, you may have trouble finding it again, especially
if you have other fields in the document. You may prefer to leave the variable field
visible while you work, and change it to invisible just before you create final copy.
At any time, you can place the insertion point just before the field and choose Edit >
Fields or right-click the field and choose Fields in the context menu. On the Edit
Fields dialog (Figure 414), select or deselect Invisible.

Apply the condition to the content

Now that you have defined the variable, you can use it in a condition statement. This topic
describes some of the possibilities.

Conditional text
First, let us set up some conditional text that will insert the words Great Product Lite into the Lite
version and Great Product Pro into the Pro version of the manual. You would use this field
whenever you want to mention the name of the product.
1) Place the cursor where you want one of these phrases to appear. (You can move or
delete it later, if you wish.)
2) On the Functions tab of the Fields dialog, select Conditional text in the Type list.
3) As shown in Figure 410, type ProLite EQ "Lite" in the Condition box, Great
Product Lite in the Then box, and Great Product Pro in the Else box.

398 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Note
These fields are case-sensitive, and quotation marks are required around a text
value such as Lite.

4) Click Insert to insert the field, then click Close. You should see Great Product Lite in the
text.

Figure 410: Inserting conditional text

Tip
If you want to insert this field into your text in many places (as you probably would for
a product name), create an AutoText entry for it. See “Using AutoText to insert often-
used fields” on page 444 for instructions.

Hidden text
You might use hidden text for words or short phrases that describe features of Great Product Pro
that are not found in the Lite version. You can reuse the same field in several places in the
document—for example, by copying and pasting it. To create a hidden text field:
1) On the Functions tab of the Fields dialog, select Hidden text in the Type list (Figure 411).

Figure 411: Creating a condition for hidden text

2) Type ProLite EQ "Lite" in the Condition box and type the required text in the Hidden
text box. Remember, this is the text that is hidden if the condition is true.
3) Click Insert to create and insert the field.
To show all hidden text so you can edit it, do one of the following:
• On the Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > View page, select the Display fields:
Hidden text option.
• Double-click in front of the variable that you used to define the condition for hiding the
text, and enter a different value for the variable.

Chapter 17, Fields | 399

Hidden paragraphs
A conditional paragraph is hidden if the condition is true. To hide a paragraph:
1) Click in the paragraph to be hidden.
2) On the Functions tab (Figure 412) of the Fields dialog, select Hidden Paragraph in the
Type list.
3) For this example, type ProLite EQ "Lite" in the Condition box.
4) Click Insert to create and insert the field.

Figure 412: Creating a condition for a a hidden paragraph

To show all hidden paragraphs so you can edit them, do one of the following:
• Choose View > Field Hidden Paragraphs on the Menu bar.
• On the Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > View page, select the Display Fields:
Hidden paragraphs option.
• Double-click in front of the variable that you used to define the condition for hiding the
paragraph, and enter a different value for the variable.

Hidden sections
A conditional section is hidden if the condition is true. To create a conditional section:
1) Select the text that you want to be included in the conditional section. (You can edit this
text later, just as you can edit any other text.)
2) Choose Insert > Section. On the Insert Section dialog (Figure 413), go to the Section
tab, then select Hide and enter the condition in the With Condition box. You can also
give the section a name; this is strongly recommended, so you can find it again easily if
you have several sections in your document.
3) Click Insert to insert the section into your document.
To show a hidden section so you can edit it:
1) Choose Format > Sections.
2) On the Edit Sections dialog, select the section from the list.
3) Deselect Hide and click OK. You can now edit the contents of the section. Afterwards,
you can choose Format > Sections and select Hide to hide the section again.
To make the hidden section a normal part of the document (that is, to remove the section
markers, but not the contents of the section):
1) Show the hidden section, as described above.
2) On the Edit Sections dialog, select the section from the list.
3) Click Remove. The contents of the section are now a normal part of the document.

400 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 413: Creating a section to be hidden when a specified condition is met

Change the value of the variable

To change the value of the variable between Lite and Pro:
1) Find the variable field you created in “Choose or define a variable” on page 454.
2) Click once just in front of this field, then right-click and click Fields in the context menu.
3) On the Edit Fields dialog (Figure 414), change the value of the variable to Pro.
4) If you have set fields to update automatically, all of the conditional and hidden text that
uses this variable as a condition will change.

Note
Conditional text and hidden text can only be edited in the Edit Fields dialog.

Tip
To turn on automatic updating of fields, choose Tools > Options > LibreOffice
Writer > General, and select Fields under Automatically Update.

Chapter 17, Fields | 401

 Figure 414: Changing the value of the variable

Using placeholder fields

A placeholder field prompts you to enter something (text, a table, a frame, an image, or an
object).
To insert a placeholder field into a document:
1) On the Functions tab of the Fields dialog, select Placeholder in the Type column and
select what the placeholder is for in the Format column.
2) In the Placeholder box, type the text that you want to appear in the placeholder field.
3) In the Reference box, type the text that you want to display as a help tip when you rest
the mouse pointer over the field.
Figure 415 shows the results of inserting a placeholder field for an image.

Figure 415: Inserting a placeholder field

Because the <Logo> field is an Image placeholder, when you click the field in the document, the
Insert Image dialog opens, prompting you to select an image. When you select an image and
click Open, the image replaces the field in the document.

402 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Similarly, clicking on a Table placeholder field opens the Insert Table dialog, clicking on a Frame
placeholder field opens the Frame dialog, and clicking on an Object placeholder field opens the
Insert OLE Object dialog. The Text placeholder field is different: you simply click it and type some
text in the Placeholder box, which replaces the field.

Using other fields

Other uses of fields, including database fields, form fields, and content controls, are described in
various chapters of this book.
LibreOffice provides many other fields that you may find useful, but they are too specialized to
cover in this book. Please refer to the Help system for details, instructions, and examples.

Classifying document contents

Document classification and security are important for businesses and governments. Where
sensitive information is exchanged between users and organizations, the parties agree how such
information will be identified and handled. LibreOffice provides standardized means for sensitive
information to be identified and protected, using a set of standard fields to hold sensitive
information.
LibreOffice implemented the open standards produced by TSCP (Transglobal Secure
Collaboration Participation, Inc.). It contains three BAF (Business Authentication Framework)
categories: Intellectual Property, National Security and Export Control. Each category has four
BAILS (Business Authorization Identification and Labeling Scheme) levels: Non-Business,
General Business, Confidential, and Internal Only.
To enable document classification, open the TSCP bar (View > Toolbars > TSCP
Classification). This toolbar contains list boxes to help in selecting the security of the document.
LibreOffice then adds custom fields in the document properties (File > Properties, Custom
Properties tab) to store the classification policy as document metadata.
To prevent a breach in security policy, contents with a higher classification level cannot be pasted
into documents with a lower classification level.

Chapter 17, Fields | 403

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 18
Forms
Introduction
This chapter covers the use of interactive forms within Writer documents. A form has sections
that are not to be edited, and other sections that are designed for the reader to make changes.
For example, a questionnaire has an introduction and questions (which do not change) and
spaces for the reader to type answers or select from supplied choices.
Writer provides several ways to enter information into a form, including check boxes, option
buttons, text boxes, pull-down lists, and other items, collectively known as form controls.
LibreOffice forms include a lot of features. Not everything is described in this chapter. Notable
omissions are using forms in HTML documents and writing macros to link to form controls.
LibreOffice Calc, Impress, and Draw also support forms in much the same way that Writer does.

When to use forms

Forms are used in three ways:
• To create a simple document for the recipient to complete, such as a questionnaire sent
out to a group of people who fill it in and return it.
• To link into a database or data source and allow the user to enter information. Someone
in a sales department might enter purchasers’ information into a database using a form.
• To view information held in a database or data source. A librarian might call up
information about books.
Using forms to access a database offers a fast and easy way to build complex graphical front
ends. Your form can include not only the fields that link to the data source, but also text, graphics,
tables, drawings and other elements.
A typical way to use a simple form is:
1) You design the form, then save it.
2) You send the form to others (for example, by email).
3) They fill in the form, save it, and send it back to you.
4) You open the form and see what their answers are.

Tip
By using a data source, or setting a form to update over the web, you can gather
data automatically. However, those methods are more complex and are not covered
in this chapter.

Alternatives to using forms in Writer

LibreOffice Base provides an alternative way to access a data source. Forms in Base and Writer
share a lot of similarities, but one may be better for a particular task than the other. Base is
appropriate only if the form accesses a data source; you would not use it for simple forms.

Creating a simple form

This section explains how to create a simple form without any links to a data source or database
and without advanced customization.

Chapter 18 Forms | 405

Create a document
You do not need to do anything special when creating a document to use as a form, though you
may wish to enable the grid so that controls can be positioned accurately. Go to View > Grid and
Helplines on the Menu bar and select Display Grid. You may also wish to select Snap to Grid.
Create a new Writer document with File > New > Text document.

Open the form toolbars

Two toolbars control form creation: Form Controls (Figure 417) and Form Design (Figure 418).
Select View > Toolbars > Form Controls and View > Toolbars > Form Design on the Menu
bar to show them both. You can also open the Form Design toolbar on the Form Controls toolbar.
The Form Controls toolbar has an icon for each of the most commonly used types of control.
Some of these controls are also located on the Form menu (Figure 416).
You can dock these toolbars in different places on the Writer window, or leave them floating.
When they are floating, you can also change them from vertical to horizontal and change the
number of tools on a row; to make these changes, drag a corner of the toolbar.
See “Form controls reference” on page 467 for descriptions of the tools on these toolbars.

Activate design mode

Click the Design Mode icon on the Form Controls toolbar to turn design mode on. (Click it again
to turn it off.) This activates or deactivates the icons for inserting form controls and selects
controls for editing.
When design mode is off, the form behaves as it would for the end user. Buttons can be pressed,
check boxes selected, list items selected, and so on.

Insert form controls

1) To insert a form control into the document, click the control’s icon to select it. The mouse
pointer changes shape.
2) Click in the document where you want the control to appear. (You can move it later.)
3) Hold the left mouse button down and drag the control to size it. Some controls have a
fixed size symbol followed by the name of the control (for example, Check Box or Option
Button).
4) The control icon remains active, so you can insert several controls of the same type
without needing to go back to the toolbar.
5) To change to another tool, click its icon on the toolbar.
6) To stop inserting controls, click the Select icon on the Form Controls toolbar, or click any
of the controls you have just inserted. The mouse pointer changes back to its normal
appearance.

Tip
To make a form control square, hold down the Shift key when creating it. To keep
the proportions of an existing control the same, hold down Shift when resizing it.

406 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Configure controls
After inserting the controls, you need to configure them to look and behave as you want. Right-
click a form control within the document and select Control in the context menu, or double-click
on a form control, to open the Properties dialog for the selected control.
The Properties dialog has three tabs: General, Data, and Events. For simple forms, only the
General tab is needed. See “Configure form controls” on page 472, “Form control formatting
options” on page 482, and the descriptions in the Help for more information. Configuration for use
with a database is discussed in “Creating a form for data entry” on page 478.
The fields on this dialog vary with the type of control. To see additional fields, use the scroll bar or
enlarge the dialog vertically.

Use the form

To use the form, leave design mode by clicking the Design Mode icon to deactivate it. Save the
form document.

Form controls reference

Form menu on Menu bar

Figure 416: Form menu on Menu bar

Chapter 18 Forms | 407

 Form Controls toolbar
The icons you see in Writer may differ from the ones shown here or they may be in a
different order on the toolbar.

Figure 417: Form Controls toolbar

Table 9: Tools on Form Controls toolbar
Form Controls toolbar
1 Select Selects a form control to perform some other action on it.
Toggles between design mode on (to edit forms) and design
2 Design Mode
mode off (to use forms).
Some form controls (List Box and Combo Box) have optional
Toggle Form wizards. If you do not want the wizard to launch when you
3
Control Wizards create one of these controls, use the Wizards On/Off icon to
switch wizards off.
Launches the Form Design toolbar, which can also be opened
4 Form Design
with View > Toolbars > Form Design.
A text label. The difference between this and just typing on the
page is that, as a control, you can link a label field to macros
5 Label
so, for example, something happens when the mouse passes
over it or clicks on it.
A control to create a box into which the form’s user can type
6 Text Box
any text.
A box that can be selected or deselected on the form. You can
7 Check Box
label the box.
Creates an option button (also known as a radio button). When
multiple buttons are grouped together, only one can be
8 Option Button selected at a time. The easiest way to group multiple buttons
is to use the Group Box icon on the More Controls toolbar, with
wizards enabled.
Creates a list of options as a pull-down menu that the user can
choose from. If the form is linked to a data source and wizards
are on, creating a list box launches the List Box Wizard.
9 List Box
If the form is not linked to a data source, turn wizards off and
create an empty list box. Then in the List Entries field on the
General tab, enter the options you want to appear on the list.
As with a List Box, you set up a list of choices. In addition, a
panel at the top either displays the choice made or allows the
10 Combo Box
form user to type in something else. This works the same as
the List Box.
Creates a button that can be linked to a macro. The label is
11 Push Button
the name that appears on the button.

408 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Behaves exactly like a push button, but displays as an image.
12 Image Button Choose the image in the Graphics option on the General tab in
the Control Properties dialog.
A control allowing numeric formatting options. For example,
you can set maximum and minimum values for the number
13 Formatted Field
entered, or the number type (decimal places, scientific,
currency).
Stores a date. You need to configure the earliest and latest
14 Date Field dates the field will accept, the default date, and the date
format. You can add a spinner.
Displays a number. You need to specify formatting, maximum,
15 Numerical Field
minimum and default values. You can add a spinner.
Group boxes have two uses. If wizards are on, creating a
group box launches the Group Element wizard. This creates a
group of options buttons (in which only one may be selected at
a time). In most cases, using a group box is the best way to
16 Group Box create a set of option buttons.
If wizards are off, a group box is simply a visual box to group
together different controls. It has no effect on the way the
controls operate.
17 Time Field Works like a date field but specifies a time.
Works like a numeric field; additionally you can add a currency
18 Currency Field
symbol.
Useful when the form links into a data source. Specify an Edit
Mask to restrict what a user can enter into the field. Specify a
19 Pattern Field
Literal Mask to restrict which data is displayed from the data
source.
Table controls are only useful with a data source. If no data
source is specified, you will be prompted to choose one in the
Table Element Wizard. You then pick the fields to display and,
20 Table Control when design mode is off, the data appears in the table. The
table also includes controls to step through the records.
Records can be added, deleted, and modified in the table.
A navigation bar is the same as the Form Navigation toolbar
21 Navigation Bar (View > Toolbars > Form Navigation), but can be placed
anywhere in the document and be resized.
Only useful when the form is connected to a data source and a
field in the data source exists that can hold images. You can
22 Image Control
add new images to the database or retrieve and display
images from it.
Allows a user to select a file, either by typing the path and
23 File Selection name directly or by clicking on a Browse button and choosing
the file from a dialog.
Allows form users to choose a number by cycling through the
list of numbers. You can specify maximum, minimum, default,
24 Spin Button and the step between numbers.
This control is not commonly used in Writer.
Creates a scrollbar, with a number of options to define the
25 Scrollbar exact appearance. This control is not commonly used in
Writer.

Chapter 18 Forms | 409

 Form Design toolbar

Figure 418: Form Design toolbar

Table 10: Tools on Form Design toolbar
Form Design toolbar
Select anchor for Any form control can be anchored to page, paragraph, or
1
object character and also anchored as a character.
Disabled unless the control is anchored as a character. You
can align a control in different ways, for example so the top or
2 Align Objects
bottom of the control lines up with the top or bottom of the
text.
3 Bring to Front Places the control on top of any other controls or text.
4 Forward One Brings the control one level up in the stack.
5 Back One Sends the control one level down in the object stack.
6 Send to Back Sends the control to the bottom of the stack.
7 To Foreground Moves the object in front of the text.
8 To Background Moves the object behind the text.
9 Select Selects a form control to perform some other action on it.
Toggles between design mode on (to edit forms) and design
10 Design Mode
mode off (to use forms).
Launches form control properties dialog. This dialog can be
11 Control Properties
kept open whiles different controls are selected.
Launches form properties dialog, which controls properties
12 Form Properties for the form as a whole, such as which data source it
connects to.
Displays all the forms and controls in the current document
and allows you to edit and delete them easily.
13 Form Navigator If you use the Form Navigator, give your controls names (in
the properties dialog) so you can tell which is which in the
navigator.
Useful only if you have specified a data source for the form.
Otherwise, an empty box opens.
14 Add Field If you have specified a data source, Add Field opens a list of
all the fields in the specified table, which you can then drag
and drop onto the page. The fields are placed on the page
with the name of the field before them.
Allows you to specify the order in which focus shifts between
15 Activation Order controls. You can test the order by leaving design mode and
using Tab to switch between the controls.
Open in Design Opens the current form in design mode (to edit the form
16
Mode rather than entering data into it).
Automatic Control
17 If activated, focus is set to the first form control.
Focus

410 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Opens the Position and Size dialog, where you can type
precise values, rather than dragging the control. You can also
18 Position and Size lock the size or position so they do not get changed
accidentally. For some controls, you can rotate and set the
slant and corner radius.
Displays a grid of dots on the page, to help you line up
19 Display Grid
controls.
When a control is brought close to a grid point or line, it will
20 Snap to Grid
snap to the grid. This makes it is easier to line up controls.
Helplines While When a control is being moved, lines extend from the control
21
Moving horizontally and vertically to help you position it accurately.

Example: a simple form

In this example, we will create the form shown in Figure 419. If you follow the given steps, your
form will look similar to this one.

Figure 419: Completed form

Create the document

Open a new document (File > New > Text Document) and type any text to be included (see
Figure 420 for an example). It is a good idea to sketch the final result to use as a guide when
designing the form, although it can easily be changed later.

Figure 420: Initial document without form controls

Chapter 18 Forms | 411

Add form controls
The next step is to add the form controls to the document. We will have four controls:
• Name is a text box.
• Gender is three option buttons: male, female, or other; user can select one.
• Favorite shape is a list of options; user can select one.
• All shapes you like is a series of check boxes; user can select one or more.
To add these controls:
1) Select View > Toolbars > Form Controls to open the Form Control toolbar.
2) If the tools are not active, click the Design Mode icon to activate them.
3) Click the Text Box icon, then click in the document and drag the shape of the Name text
box to approximately the size you want. Drag it to line up with the Name: label.
4) Make sure Toggle Form Control Wizards is OFF. Click the Option Button icon. Click
and drag to create three option buttons near the Gender: label in the document. We will
configure these in the next section.
5) Click the List Box icon and draw a list box by Favourite shape: in the document. This will
just be an empty pane for now.
6) Click the Check Box icon and create four check boxes by All shapes you like, side by
side across the page.
Your document should now look something like Figure 421. Do not worry if the controls are not
lined up well; we will fix this later.

Figure 421: Document with form controls

Configure form controls

Text box
No further configuration is required for the Name field, but you may wish to change the height or
width of the field, its background color, or other formatting. If so:
1) Be sure Design Mode is on and Wizards are off.
2) Double-click on the Name field to open the Properties: Text Box dialog (Figure 422).
3) On the General tab, scroll down (or expand the dialog by dragging the bottom edge down)
to find the Width and Height properties. Change these as needed.

412 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 4) You can then close the dialog or leave it open while you configure the other controls.

Figure 422: Changing the width and height of a text box

Option buttons
The Gender option buttons need to be configured to allow only one of the three to be selected.
You can do this in two ways: using individual option buttons as described here, or using a Group
Box (see page 475).
1) Be sure Design Mode is ON and Wizards are OFF.
2) If the Properties dialog is open, click once on the first option button to change the dialog
to Properties: Option Button. If the dialog is not open, double-click the first option button.
In the Properties dialog (Figure 423), on the General tab, type Male in the Label field and
Gender in the Group name field.
3) Repeat for the other two options, using Female and Other, respectively, for the Label and
Gender for the Group name. (Grouping allows only one option to be selected at a time.)

Figure 423: Specifying label and group names for an option button
If the option buttons are too far apart, click on each in turn and drag it to the left or right.
If the option buttons are not lined up neatly, do this:
1) Click the Select button on the Form Controls toolbar and draw a box around the three
option button controls with the mouse to select all of them (Figure 424).

Chapter 18 Forms | 413

 2) Right-click and choose Align > Top in the context menu. Figure 425 shows the result.

Figure 424: Select controls and align to top

Figure 425: Result of action to align controls

List box
To add the list of choices to the list box, do this:
1) Be sure Design Mode is ON and Wizards are OFF. Double-click the List Box control to
open the control’s Properties dialog (Figure 426). Select the General tab.
2) Scroll down to find the List Entries text input box. Type the names of the shapes (Circle,
Triangle, Square, Pentagon) one at a time. After each, press Shift+Enter, as shown in
Figure 426.

Figure 426: Entering the terms for a list

When you click away from the List entries box in the dialog, you should see a line saying
"Circle";"Triangle";"Square";"Pentagon" (Figure 427).

414 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 427: Properties dialog for a list box

Check boxes
To give the check boxes names:
1) Be sure Design Mode is ON and Wizards are OFF. Double-click the first Check Box
control.
2) In the Properties: Check Box dialog (Figure 428), change the text in the Label field to
Circle and press Enter. The cursor moves to the next line, and the label on the check
box in the document changes immediately.

Figure 428: Top part of Properties dialog for a check box

3) Click each of the other three check boxes in turn. Change the text in the Label text input
box in the Properties dialog to Triangle, Square, and Pentagon in turn.
4) Close the Properties dialog.
5) Turn Design Mode off.
You have now completed the form, which should look something like Figure 419 on page 471.

Group box
As an alternative to creating individual option buttons for Gender (described on page 473), you
can use a Group Box to insert a group of option buttons. Group boxes stack the selections one
under the other (as shown in Figure 432 on page 477); individual buttons can be moved into any
arrangement you prefer (we arranged them horizontally on page 473).

Chapter 18 Forms | 415

To use a Group Box instead of individual Option Buttons:
1) Be sure both Design Mode and Wizards are ON. Click the Group Box icon and draw a
box next to the Gender: label. The Group Element Wizard (Figure 429) opens
automatically.
2) Type Male in the box on the left. Click the >> button to move it to the Option fields box on
the right.
3) Repeat for Female and Other. The Wizard should now look like Figure 430. Click
Next >.
4) On the next page of the Wizard (Figure 431), choose No, one particular field is not
going to be selected as a default. Click Next >.
5) On the next page, make no changes. Click Next >.
6) On the next page, delete the words “Group Box” from the caption area. If we did not have
a Gender: label already in the form, you might want to type Gender as the caption.
7) Click Finish. The survey form should look like Figure 432.

Figure 429: Inserting a Group Box using the Group Element Wizard

Figure 430: Wizard after adding names for the option fields

416 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 431: Choosing to not have a default option

Figure 432: Final group box in survey form

Finishing touches
The form is complete, but you may wish to make further changes to the document. If you plan to
send this out to other people to complete, you probably want to make the document read-only so
that users would be able to fill in the form but not make any other changes to the document.
To make the document read-only, select File > Properties, select the Security tab and enable
Open file read-only.

Note
If the document is read-only, anyone filling in the form will need to use File > Save
as to save the document.

Accessing data sources

The most common use for a form is to input information into a database. For example, you can
design a form that others can use to enter information into a contacts database. Because it is
part of a Writer document, the form can contain graphics, formatting, tables, and other elements
to make it look just the way you want. Modifying the form is as simple as editing a document.
LibreOffice can access numerous data sources. These include ODBC, MySQL, Oracle JDBC,
spreadsheets and text files. As a general rule, databases can be accessed for reading and
writing; other data sources (such as spreadsheets) are read-only.

Tip
To see the list of supported data source types for your operating system, choose File
> New > Database. On the first page of the Database Wizard, select Connect to an
existing database and then open the drop-down list.

For the purpose of this chapter, we assume you have previously created a database or other
data source and registered it for use with Writer. Chapter 14, Mail Merge, describes how to
create and register a database.

Chapter 18 Forms | 417

Creating a form for data entry
Once a database is registered with LibreOffice, follow these steps to link a form to the data
source:
1) Create a new document in Writer (File > New > Text Document).
2) Design your form, without putting in the actual fields (you can always change it later).
3) Show the Form Controls and Form Design toolbars.
4) Click the Design Mode icon to put the document into design mode.
5) Click the Text Box icon. Click in the document and drag to create a text box for the first
form field.
6) Additional fields, of any type, can be added in the same way (click and drag).
So far you have followed the same steps used before when creating your first form. To link the
form with the data source you registered:
1) Click the Form Properties icon on the Form Design toolbar, or right-click any of the fields
you inserted and select Form Properties, to open the Form Properties dialog (Figure
433).

Figure 433: Form properties, connecting to a data source

2) In the Form Properties dialog, choose the Data tab.
– Set Data Source to be the data source you registered.
– Set Content Type to be Table.
– Set Content to be the name of the table you want to access.
– Close the dialog.
3) For each form control in turn, click the control to select it (small green boxes appear
around it), then launch the Properties dialog: either right-click and select Control
Properties or click the Control Properties icon on the Form Controls toolbar.

418 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 4) In the Properties dialog, click the Data tab (Figure 434). If you set up the form correctly,
the Data Field option will contain a list of the different fields in the data source (for
example, Name, Address and Telephone). Select the field you want.

Figure 434: Form control properties, Data tab

5) Repeat for each control in turn until every control that should be assigned to a field has
been assigned.

Caution
If you created a database in LibreOffice Base and your Primary Key field had
AutoValue set to Yes, that field does not need to be part of the form. If AutoValue
was set to No, you will have to include it and users will need to enter a unique value
into that field whenever they make a new entry—not something that is
recommended.

Entering data into a form

Once you have created a form and tied it to a database, use it to enter data into the database or
modify data already there:
1) Make sure that the form is not in design mode. (On the Form Controls toolbar, click the
Design Mode icon. When design mode is off, most of the buttons on the toolbar will be
grayed out.)
2) Make sure that the Form Navigation toolbar is on (View > Toolbars > Form Navigation).
This toolbar normally appears at the bottom of the workspace.

Figure 435: Form Navigation toolbar

3) If there is existing data in the data source, use the control buttons on the Form Navigation
toolbar to look at different records. To amend data in a record, edit the values in the form.
To submit the changes, press Enter with the cursor in the last field. The record is saved
and the next record is displayed.
4) If there is no data in the form, enter information by typing into the fields of the form. To
submit the new record, press Enter with the cursor in the last field.
5) Other functions can be performed from the Form Navigation toolbar, including deleting a
record and adding a new record.

Note
If a user tries to fill in the form and receives the error “Attempt to insert null into a
non-nullable column”, then the form designer should go back to the database and
confirm that the Primary Key field has the Auto Value set to Yes. This error will
prevent the form user from saving the records.

Chapter 18 Forms | 419

Advanced form customization
Linking a macro to a form control
You can set any form control (for example, text box or button) to perform an action when
triggered by some event.
To assign a macro to an event:
1) Create the macro. See Chapter 13, Getting Started with Macros, in the Getting Started
Guide.
2) Be sure the form is in design mode. Right-click the form control, select Control
Properties in the context menu, and click the Events tab (Figure 436).

Figure 436: Control properties, Events tab

3) Click the browse icon by any event to open the Assign Action dialog (Figure 437).
4) Click the Macro button and select the macro from the list in the Macro Selector dialog
(not shown). You return to the Assign action dialog. Repeat as needed, then click OK to
close the dialog.

420 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Macros can also be assigned to events relating to the form as a whole. To do this, right-click a
form control in the document, select Form Properties, and click the Events tab.

Figure 437: Assign action dialog

Fine-tuning database access permissions

By default, when a database is accessed from a form, any changes can be made to it: records
can be added, deleted, and amended. You may not want that behavior. For example, you may
want users to be able only to add new records or to be prohibited from deleting existing records.
In design mode, right-click a form control and select Form Properties in the context menu. On
the Data tab of the Form Properties dialog (Figure 438), set each of these options to Yes or No to
control the access users have to the data source: Allow additions, Allow deletions, Allow
modifications, and Add data only.
Individual fields can also be protected. This might be useful if you wanted a user to be able to
modify some parts of a record but only view others, such as a stock list where item descriptions
are fixed and quantities can be modified.
To make an individual field read-only, in design mode, right-click the form control within the
document and select Control from the context menu. Select the General tab and set Read-only to
Yes.

Chapter 18 Forms | 421

 Figure 438: Data Properties of a form

Form control formatting options

You can customize the way form controls look and behave in a number of ways. These are all
accessed in design mode. Right-click the form control, select Control Properties in the context
menu and select the General tab in the Properties dialog.
• Set a label for the control in the Label box (not to be confused with the box called Label
Field). Some form controls, such as push buttons and option buttons, have visible labels
that can be set. Others, such as text boxes, do not.
• Set whether the form control will print out if the document is printed with the Print option.
• Use the Font setting to set the font, typeface, and size for a field’s label or for text typed
into a field. This setting does not affect the size of check boxes or option buttons.
• For a text box, you can set the maximum text length. This is very useful when adding
records into a database. Every database text field has a maximum length and, if the data
entered is too long, LibreOffice displays an error message. By setting the maximum text
length of the form control to be the same as that of the database field, this error can be
avoided.
• You can set the default option for a form control. By default, a control is blank, or has
every option unselected. You can set the control to start with a particular option or list
item selected.
• For controls where a password is being entered, setting the Password character (for
example to *) displays only that character, but saves what the user really types.
• You can add additional information and help text for a form control.
• You can use other formatting controls such as background color, 3-D look, text
formatting, scroll bars, and borders to further define how the control appears.

422 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Using content controls
Content controls are placeholders. You can add and customize content controls for use in
templates, forms, and documents. Content controls can provide instructions on their use. Some
are similar to the controls described earlier in this chapter, but can be easier to work with and
format. However, unlike some fields, content controls do not connect to any data in a database.
Rich Text
Contains custom formatted text or other items, such as tables, pictures, or other content
controls.
Plain Text
Limited to plain text in a single or multiple paragraphs. Unlike rich text, it cannot contain
other items, such as tables, pictures, or other content controls.
Picture
Contains a single image anchored as-character. Clicking on the content control opens the
file open dialog to select an image to replace the placeholder.
Check Box
Contains a single check box character to interact with. Clicking on the content control
toggles the checked state of the check box.
Combo Box
Contains a drop-down selection of list entries that you can select and text box that you
can edit directly.
Drop-down List
Contains a drop-down button control with a list of display-text and value pairs. Unlike a
combo box, the drop-down list does not let users enter custom input.
Date
Contains a calendar control. Limits text to a single paragraph.
To insert a content control into a document, template, or form:
1) Place the cursor where you want the control to appear.
2) Choose Form > Content Controls > Insert [Required Control] on the Menu bar.
3) Choose Form > Content Controls > Content Control Properties on the Menu bar. This
is not available for a Picture conrol.
4) On the Content Control Properties dialog (Figure 439), optionally select Content is
placeholder text, type a title and a tag. The properties vary for each control. For details,
please see the Help.

Figure 439: Content Control Properties dialog

Chapter 18 Forms | 423

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 19,
Spreadsheets, Charts, Other
Objects
Introduction: OLE and DDE objects
You can embed or link objects as either OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) or DDE (Dynamic
Data Exchange). Both methods enable you to use information from one application (say, Calc) in
another application (Writer, in this case). The difference between a DDE object and a linked OLE
object is that a linked OLE object can be edited from the document in which it is added as a link,
but a DDE object cannot.
For example, if a Calc spreadsheet is pasted into a Writer document as a DDE object, then the
spreadsheet cannot be edited in the Writer document. But if the original Calc spreadsheet is
updated, the changes are automatically made in the Writer document. If the spreadsheet is
inserted as a Linked OLE object into the Writer document, then the spreadsheet can be edited in
Writer as well as in the Calc document and both documents are in sync with each other.
Both linking and embedding insert information from one document into another document, but the
methods store information differently. They are different from directly copying and pasting
information because you can open and edit objects in the applications that created them.
An embedded OLE object is a copy of information from another document. When you embed
objects, there is no link to the source document and any changes made to the source document
are not reflected in the destination document. Embed objects if you want to be able to use the
application that created them for editing, but you do not want the OLE object to be updated when
you edit information in the source document.
A linked object is a reference to information in another document. Link objects when you want to
use the same information in more than one document. Then, if you change the original
information, you need to update only the links in order to update the document containing the
OLE objects. You can also set links to be updated automatically. When you link an object, you
need to maintain access to the source application and the linked document. If you rename or
move either of them, you may need to reestablish the link.
The following types of files or documents can be inserted into a Writer document as an OLE
object: spreadsheets, charts, drawings, formulas (equations), and presentations.

Inserting a new OLE object

When you insert a new OLE object into a document, it is embedded; that is, the object is
available only in that document and can only be edited using Writer.
To insert a new OLE object into a document:
1) Click where you want to insert the object.
2) Choose Insert > OLE Object > OLE Object on the Menu bar.
3) On the Insert OLE Object dialog (Figure 440), select Create new.
4) Select the type of object you want to create and click OK.
5) A new OLE object is inserted in the document in edit mode. The toolbars displayed in
Writer will change, providing the necessary tools for you to create the new OLE object.

Note
Computers running Microsoft Windows show an additional option of Further objects
in the Object Type list. This option opens a dialog where you can create an OLE
object using other software that is compatible with OLE and LibreOffice. This option
is available for new OLE objects and for OLE objects from another file.

Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects | 425

 Figure 440: Inserting a new OLE object

Inserting a file as an OLE object

When you insert an existing file (for example, a spreadsheet) into a Writer document as an OLE
object, you can choose whether to embed or link the file.
1) Click where you want to insert the file and choose Insert > OLE Object > OLE Object on
the Menu bar.
2) On the Insert OLE Object dialog, select Create from file. The dialog changes to show a
File text box (Figure 441).

Figure 441: Inserting an OLE object from a file

3) Click Search to open a file browser.
4) Locate the file you want to insert and click Open.
– To insert the file as a live link so that any changes made are synchronized in both the
original file and your document, select the Link to file option.
– To show a selectable icon for the application that created the file (in this case, Calc),
instead of displaying the contents of the file, select the Display as icon option.
5) Click OK to insert the file as an OLE object.

Editing OLE objects

To edit an OLE object after it has been created or inserted from a file:
1) Double-click the OLE object to open it in edit mode. The toolbars displayed in Writer will
change to provide the tools necessary to edit the object.

426 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 2) When you finish editing the object, click anywhere outside the object to exit edit mode.
3) Save the Writer document. Any changes made to the OLE object are also saved.
If the OLE object is linked, then if you change it in Writer it will change in Calc; if you change it in
Calc, it will change in Writer. This can be a very powerful tool if you create reports in Writer using
Calc data, and want to make a quick change without opening Calc.

Creating a DDE link in Writer

To create a DDE link from Calc to Writer:
1) Open both the Writer document and the Calc spreadsheet.
2) In Calc, select the cells to make the DDE link to. Copy them.
3) Go to the place in the Writer document where you want the DDE link. Select Edit > Paste
Special > Paste Special. Writer displays its Paste Special dialog (Figure 442).
4) Select Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE link) in the Selection list.
5) Click the OK button. Now the link has been created in Writer. When the Calc spreadsheet
is updated, the table in Writer is automatically updated.

Figure 442: Paste Special dialog in Writer, with DDE link selected

Spreadsheets
To include a spreadsheet in a Writer document, you can insert either an existing spreadsheet file
or a new spreadsheet as an OLE object, as explained above, or create a DDE (Dynamic Data
Interchange) object.

Embedding or linking a spreadsheet

Embedding a spreadsheet into Writer includes most of the functionality of a Calc spreadsheet.
Writer is capable of performing complex calculations and data analysis. However, if you plan to
use complex data or formulas, it is recommended to perform those operations in a separate Calc
spreadsheet and use Writer only to display the embedded spreadsheet with the results.
You may be tempted to use spreadsheets in Writer for creating complex tables or presenting data
in a tabular format. However, the Table feature in Writer is often more suitable and faster to use,
depending on the complexity of your data; see Chapter 13, Tables.
To embed a spreadsheet into a Writer document, follow the instructions in “Inserting a file as an
OLE object” on page 489.

Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects | 427

When an entire spreadsheet is inserted into a document, if it contains more than one sheet and
the one you want is not visible, double-click the spreadsheet, and then select a different sheet
from the row of sheet tabs at the bottom.

Resizing and moving spreadsheet objects

When selected, a spreadsheet object is treated like any other object.

Resizing
To resize the area occupied by the spreadsheet:
1) Click on the object to show the selection handles in the border.
2) Move the mouse pointer over one of the handles. The pointer changes shape to give a
visual representation of the effects applied to the area.
3) Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the handle. The corner handles move the
two adjacent sides simultaneously, while the handles at the midpoint of the sides modify
one dimension at a time.

Moving
Moving a spreadsheet object to change its position within the document is the same as moving
any other object in Writer:
1) Click on the object to show the selection handles in the border.
2) Move the mouse pointer over the object until the pointer changes shape (normally a hand,
but this depends on your computer setup). Be careful not to double-click the spreadsheet
object and activate object editing mode.
3) Click and drag the object to the desired position. Release the mouse button.

Editing a spreadsheet object

To edit a spreadsheet object, double-click it, or select it and choose Edit > Object > Edit on the
Menu bar, or right-click and choose Edit in the context menu.
You edit the object in its own frame within the Writer document, but some of the toolbars change
in Writer. One of the most important changes is the presence of the Formula bar, which contains
(from left to right):
• The Name Box, that shows the active cell reference or the name of a selected range of
cells.
• The Function Wizard icon.
• The Select Function and Formula icons or the Cancel and Accept icons, depending on
the editing actions taken in the spreadsheet.
• A long Input Line to enter or review the contents of the active cell.
If you are familiar with Calc, you will immediately recognize the tools and the menu items. See
the Getting Started Guide or the Calc Guide for more information.

Spreadsheet organization
A spreadsheet consists of pages called sheets. However, in Writer, only one sheet can be shown
at a time when a spreadsheet with multiple sheets is embedded into a Writer document.
Each sheet is organized into cells, which are the elementary units of the spreadsheet. They are
identified by a row number (shown on the left-hand side) and a column letter (shown in the top
row). For example, the top left cell is identified as A1, while the third cell in the second row is C2.
All data elements, whether text, numbers, or formulas, are entered into a cell.

428 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Note
If the embedded spreadsheet has multiple sheets, only the active sheet is shown on
the page after exiting edit mode.

Working with embedded sheets

You can insert, rename, delete, and edit sheets in an embedded spreadsheet. To begin, double-
click the embedded spreadsheet to open it in edit mode. When you finish editing the embedded
spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Tip
For more details on these procedures, refer to the Getting Started Guide.

Inserting sheets
1) Right-click a sheet name and select Insert Sheet in the context menu, or go to Sheet >
Insert Sheet on the Menu bar to open the Insert Sheet dialog.
2) Select the sheet position, number of sheets to be inserted, sheet name, or which
spreadsheet file to use from the options available in the Insert Sheet dialog.
3) Click OK to close the dialog and insert the sheet.
Renaming sheets
Right-click the sheet tab and select Rename Sheet in the context menu, or go to Sheet >
Rename Sheet on the Menu bar, to open the Rename Sheet dialog.
Moving and copying sheets
1) Right-click the sheet name and select Move or Copy Sheet in the context menu, or go to
Sheet > Move or Copy Sheet on the Menu bar to open the Move/Copy Sheet dialog.
2) Select whether to move or copy the sheet, the sheet location and position, and a new
sheet name. Click OK to close the dialog and move or copy the sheet.
3) Alternatively, click the sheet tab and drag it to a new position in the embedded
spreadsheet.
Deleting sheets
1) Right-click the sheet tab and select Delete Sheet in the context menu, or go to Sheet >
Delete Sheet on the Menu bar. If the spreadsheet has only one sheet remaining, you
cannot delete that sheet.
2) Click Yes to confirm.

Cell navigation
To move around the spreadsheet to select a cell to make it active, you can:
• Use the keyboard arrow keys.
• Position the cursor in a cell and left-click the mouse.
• Use the Enter key to move one cell down and Shift+Enter to move one cell up.
• Use the Tab key to move one cell to the right and Shift+Tab to move one cell to the left.

Entering data
Data input into a cell can only be done when a cell is active. An active cell is easily identified by a
thickened and bolder border. The cell reference (or coordinates) for the active cell is displayed at
the left-hand end of the Formula bar.

Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects | 429

 1) Select the cell to make it active and start typing. The data input is also displayed in the
Input line on the Formula toolbar, making the data entry easier to read.
2) Use the Function Wizard, Select Function, and Formula icons to enter data, formulas,
or functions into a cell. If the input is not a formula (for example, a text or date entry), the
Select Function and Formula icons change into the Cancel and Accept icons.
3) To confirm data input into a cell, either select a different cell, or press the Enter key, or
click the Accept icon on the Formula bar.

Formatting cell data

Writer normally recognizes the type of contents (text, number, date, time, and so on) entered into
a cell and applies default formatting to it. However, if Writer wrongly recognizes the type of data
you have entered into a cell:
1) Select the cell, then right-click it and select Format Cells in the context menu, or go to
Format > Cells on the Menu bar, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+1.
2) In the Format Cells dialog, click the appropriate tab to open the correct page and use the
options on that page to format the cell data.
3) Click OK to close the dialog and save your changes.

Tip
To force Writer to treat numbers as text (for example, telephone numbers) and to
prevent Writer from removing the leading zeros or right-align them in a cell, type a
single quotation mark (') before entering the number.

Formatting spreadsheets
It may be necessary to change the formatting of a spreadsheet to match the style used in the
document.
When working on an embedded spreadsheet, you can also access any cell styles created in Calc
and use them. However, if you are going to use styles, it is recommended to create specific cell
styles for embedded spreadsheets, as Calc cell styles may be unsuitable when working within
Writer.

Manual formatting
To manually format an embedded spreadsheet:
1) Select a cell or a range of cells. See the Getting Started Guide or the Calc Guide for more
information on selecting ranges of cells.
2) Right-click the selection and go to Format Cells in the context menu, or go to Format >
Cells on the Menu bar, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells
dialog.
3) Use the various dialog pages to format the embedded spreadsheet so that it matches the
style of your document.
4) Click OK to close the dialog and save your changes.
5) If necessary, adjust the column width by hovering the mouse pointer over the line
separating two columns in the header row until the pointer changes to a double-headed
arrow; then click the left button and drag the separating line to the new position.
6) If necessary, adjust the row height by hovering the mouse pointer over the line separating
two rows in the row header until the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow; then click
the left button and drag the separating line to the new position.

430 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 7) When you are satisfied with the formatting changes, click outside the spreadsheet area to
save your changes and exit edit mode.

Using formatting styles

When an embedded spreadsheet is in edit mode, Writer displays the available styles for a
spreadsheet in the Styles deck in the sidebar.
If a style you want to use is not available, you can create it (see Chapter 8, Introduction to
Styles). Styles used in an embedded spreadsheet are similar to paragraph styles used in Writer.
To use styles in your embedded spreadsheet, open the Styles deck in the Sidebar, then select
data in a cell and double-click a style in the Styles deck to apply it.

Inserting and deleting rows or columns

To insert rows or columns in an embedded spreadsheet:
1) Select the column or row where you want the new column or row inserted.
2) Go to Sheet on the Menu bar and select either Insert Columns > Columns Before, or
Insert Columns > Columns After, or Insert Rows > Rows Above, or Insert Rows >
Rows Below.
Or, right-click the column or row header and select Insert Columns Before, Insert
Columns After, Insert Rows Above, or Insert Rows Below in the context menu.
To delete rows or columns from an embedded spreadsheet:
1) Highlight the rows or columns that you want to delete.
2) Go to Sheet on the Menu bar and select Delete Rows or Delete Columns, or right-click
and select Delete Columns or Delete Rows in the context menu.

Deleting cells
1) Select the cells you want to delete.
2) Go to Sheet > Delete Cells, or press Ctrl+-. Or, right-click on a cell and select Delete in
the context menu.
3) Select the option you require on the Delete Cells dialog.

Merging and splitting cells

To merge contiguous cells into a single cell:
1) Select the cells to be merged.
2) Right-click on the selected cells and select Merge Cells in the context menu, or go to
Format > Merge Cells > Merge Cells or Merge and Center Cells on the Menu bar, or
click on the Merge and Center Cells icon on the Formatting toolbar. Using Merge and
Center Cells will center align any contents in the cells.
3) If the cells contain any data, a small dialog opens, showing choices for moving or hiding
data in the hidden cells. Make your selection and click OK.
To split a group of cells that have been merged into a single cell:
1) Select the cell that contains merged cells.
2) Go to Format > Merge Cells > Split Cells or right-click and select Split Cells in the
context menu. If the split cells contained data that was merged before, this data will not
be split again.

Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects | 431

Charts and graphs
Charts and graphs are graphical interpretations of data, often from a spreadsheet. For more
information, see the Calc Guide.

Inserting a chart
You can add a chart to your document as an OLE object (see page 15) or using the tools in
Writer.
To add a chart using Writer’s tools, choose Insert > Chart on the Menu bar to insert a generic
chart (Figure 443) at the cursor location. The chart is selected and the Menu bar and toolbars
change to those appropriate for charts.

Figure 443: Chart with sample data

Selecting chart type

Your data can be presented using a variety of different charts. Writer contains several chart types
that will help you convey your message to your audience. See “Chart types” on page 496.

Figure 444: Chart Type dialog showing two-dimensional charts

1) Make sure that the chart is selected. The chart has a border and selection handles when
selected.
2) Click the Chart Type icon on the Formatting toolbar or go to Format > Chart Type on the
Menu bar, or right-click the chart and select Chart Type in the context menu to open
Chart Type dialog (Figure 444).

432 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 3) As you change selections in the left-hand list, the chart examples on the right change.
You can move the Chart Type dialog to one side to see the effect in the chart.
4) As you change chart types, other selections become available on the right-hand side. For
example, some chart types have both 3D and 2D variants. When 3D Look is selected,
more options become available for selection of shapes for the columns or bars.
5) Choose the chart characteristics you want and click OK to save your changes and return
to the edit window.
6) Continue to format the chart, add data to it, or click outside the chart to return to normal
view.

Chart types
The following summary of the chart types available will help you choose a type suitable for your
data. Column, bar, pie, and area charts are available as 2D or 3D types. Examples of these types
are given in detail in the Calc Guide.
Column charts
A column chart shows vertical bars, with the height of each bar proportional to its value.
They usually display data that shows trends over time. It is recommended to use column
charts where you have a relatively small number of data points. If you have a large time
series as your data, it is recommended to use a line chart.
Bar charts
A bar chart is like a column chart that has been shifted 90 degrees. It shows horizontal
bars rather than vertical columns. Bar charts give an immediate visual impact for data
comparison where time is not important, for example comparing the popularity of products
in a marketplace.
Pie charts
A pie chart shows values as sections of a circle. The area of each section is proportional
to its value. Pie charts give a comparison of proportions, for example, when comparing
what different departments spent on different items or what different departments actually
spent overall. They work best with a small range of values, up to about. Using a larger
range of values, the visual impact begins to fade.
Area charts
Area charts are versions of line or column charts. They are useful when you want to
emphasize volume of change. Area charts have a greater visual impact than a line chart,
but use them carefully, because the type of data you use does make a difference to the
visual impact.
Line charts
Line charts give time series with progression. They are ideal for raw data and useful for
charts with data showing trends or changes over time where you want to emphasize
continuity. On line charts, the X-axis is ideal for representing time series data. 3D lines
may confuse the viewer, so just using a thicker line gives a better visual impact.
XY (Scatter) charts
Scatter charts are great for visualizing data that you have not had time to analyze and
may be best for data where you have a constant value for comparison: for example
weather data, reactions under different acidity levels, conditions at altitude, or any data
which matches two numeric series. The X-axis usually plots the independent variable or
control parameter (often a time series).

Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects | 433

 Bubble charts
A bubble chart is a variation of a scatter chart that can show three variables in two
dimensions. Two variables identify the position of the center of a bubble on a Cartesian
graph, while the third variable indicates the radius of the bubble. These charts are often
used to present financial data or social/demographic data.
Net charts
Net charts are similar to polar or radar graphs and are useful for comparing data not in
time series, but show different circumstances, such as variables in a scientific experiment.
The poles of the net chart are the Y-axes of other charts. Generally, between three and
eight axes are best; any more and this type of chart becomes confusing.
Stock charts
Stock charts are specialized column graphs specifically used for stocks and shares. You
can choose traditional lines, candlestick, and two-column charts. The data required for
these charts is specialized with series for opening price, closing price, and high and low
prices. The X-axis represents a time series.
Column and line charts
A column and line chart is a combination of two other chart types. It is useful for
combining two distinct, but related data series, for example sales over time (column) and
the profit margin trends (line).

Entering chart data

1) Select the chart and then select the chart type.
2) Click the Data Table icon, or select View > Data Table on the Menu bar, or right-click and
select Data Table in the context menu to open the Data Table dialog (Figure 445).
3) Type or paste information into the cells within the desired rows and columns in the Data
Table dialog. You can also use the icons in the top left corner of the Data Table dialog to
insert, delete or move data.

Figure 445: Chart Data Table dialog

Adding or removing chart elements

The specimen chart inserted into a document includes two elements: a chart wall and a chart
legend (also known as the key). You can add or remove elements to or from a chart.
1) Make sure the chart is selected and in edit mode.
2) To add an element to the chart, go to Insert on the Menu bar and select an element in the
submenu, or right-click the chart wall or a chart element and select an element in the
context menu. Selecting an element opens a dialog where you can specify options for the
element.

434 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Note
Right-clicking on a chart element will give you more options to choose from when
adding elements to a chart. The number of available insert options in the context
menu depends on the type of element selected.

3) To remove an element from a chart, right-click the chart element you want to remove and
select Delete in the context menu. The type of element selected for removal will change
the delete options in the context menu. Or, select an element in the chart and press the
Del (Delete) key or the Backspace key to remove it from the chart.

Chart formatting
To change the format of a selected chart:
1) Make sure the chart is selected and in edit mode.
2) Go to Format on the Menu bar and select on the submenu an element that you want to
format, or right-click a chart element and select a format option from the context menu.
Selecting an element opens a dialog where you can specify format options for the
element.
The formatting options available depend on whether the whole chart is selected or which chart
element has been selected.

Resizing and moving charts

You can resize or move a chart interactively or by using the Position and Size dialog. You can
also use a combination of both methods.

Resizing
To resize a chart interactively:
1) Click a chart to select it. Selection handles appear around the chart.
2) To increase or decrease the height of a chart, click and drag on a selection handle at the
top or bottom of the chart.
3) To increase or decrease the width of a chart, click and drag on a selection handle at the
left or right of the chart.
4) To increase or decrease both the height and width of a chart at the same time, click and
drag on a selection handle in one of the corners. To maintain the correct aspect ratio
between height and width, hold the Shift key down while you click and drag.

Moving
To move a chart interactively:
1) Click the chart to select it. Selection handles appear around the chart.
2) Move the mouse pointer anywhere on the chart other than on a selection handle.
3) When it changes shape, click and drag the chart to its new location.
4) Release the mouse button when the chart is in the desired position.

Position and Size dialog

To resize or move a chart using the Position and Size dialog:
1) Double-click the chart so that it is in edit mode.

Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects | 435

 2) Go to Format > Position and Size on the Menu bar, or right-click the chart and select
Position and Size in the context menu. For more information on using the Position and
Size dialog, see Chapter 11, Images and Graphics.
Outside of the edit mode, it is possible to change the position and size of the chart in the
Type page on the Properties dialog. Right-click on the chart and select Properties in the
context menu.

Chart elements
You can move or resize individual elements of a chart element independently of other chart
elements. For example, you can move the chart legend to a different position. Pie charts allow
individual wedges of the pie to be moved as well as “exploding” the entire pie.
1) Double-click the chart so that it is in edit mode.
2) Click any chart element to select it. Selection handles appear.
3) Move the mouse pointer over the selected element and when the pointer changes shape,
click and drag to move the element.
4) Release the mouse button when the element is in the desired position.

Note
If the chart is 3D, round selection handles appear; these handles control the three-
dimensional angle of the chart. You cannot resize or reposition the chart while the
round selection handles are showing. Shift+click to get back to the square
resizing handles. You can now resize and reposition the 3D chart.

Changing chart area background

The chart area is the area surrounding the chart graphic and includes the (optional) main title and
key.
1) Double-click the chart so that it is in edit mode.
2) Go to Format > Chart Area on the Menu bar, or right-click in the chart area and select
Format Chart Area in the context menu, or double-click in the chart area to open the
Chart Area dialog.
3) Click the Area tab and select the button corresponding to the type of background fill you
want to use. The available options will change depending on the type of fill selected.
4) Make your selections and click OK to close the dialog and save the changes.

Changing chart wall background

The chart wall is the area that contains the chart graphic. Keep in mind that some chart types do
not use a wall, like the pie chart for example.
1) Double-click the chart so that it is in edit mode.
2) Select the chart wall and go to Format > Format Selection on the Menu bar, or right-
click in the chart wall and select Format Wall in the context menu, or double-click in the
chart wall to open the Chart Wall dialog.
3) Click the Area tab and proceed as above.
4) Click OK to close the dialog and save the changes.

436 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Audio and video
Although linked audio and video files are irrelevant when a Writer document is printed, if the
document is opened on a computer or exported to PDF or HTML, you can play the files by
clicking on the links.

Using media files

To insert a media file into your document:
1) Choose Insert > Media > Audio or Video on the Menu bar to open the Insert Audio or
Video dialog.
2) Select the media file to insert and click Open to place the object in the document.

Tip
To see a list of audio and video file types supported by Writer, open the drop-down
list of file types. This list defaults to All audio and video files, so you can also choose
unsupported files such as .mov.

Writer only links media files and does not embed a media file into a document. Therefore if a
document is moved to a different computer, any links will be broken and the media files will not
play. To prevent this from happening:
1) Place any media files that are included in a document in the same folder where the
document is stored.
2) Insert the media file in the document.
3) Send both the document and any media files to the computer which is to be used for the
document and place both files in the same folder on that computer.

Using the Gallery

To insert media clips directly from the Gallery:
1) Go to the Gallery deck on the Sidebar.
2) Browse to a theme containing media files (for example, Sounds).
3) Click the movie or sound to be inserted and drag it into the document area.

Media playback
The Media Playback toolbar is automatically opened when a media file is selected. The default
position of the toolbar is at the bottom of the workspace, just above the Drawing toolbar.
However, this toolbar can be undocked and placed anywhere. If the toolbar does not open, go to
View > Toolbars > Media Playback on the Menu bar.
The Media Playback toolbar contains the following tools:
• Insert Audio or Video – opens the Insert Audio or Video dialog.
• Play, Pause, Stop – controls media playback.
• Repeat – if selected, media will continuously repeat playing until this tool is deselected.
• Position (Playback slider) – selects the position to start playing from within the media
file.
• Timer – displays current position of the media clip and length of media file.
• Mute – when selected, the sound will be suppressed.

Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects | 437

 • Volume – adjusts the volume of the media file.
• Media path – the location of the file on the computer.
• View (Scaling drop-down menu) – only available for movies; allows scaling of the clip.

Formulas (equations)
For detailed information on how to create formulas, see the Math Guide or the Getting Started
Guide.
To create a formula (equation) in Writer, go to Insert > OLE Object > Formula Object on the
Menu bar. See page 15 for more information.
To easily add numbered formulas in Writer, you can use the AutoText entry fn (for “formula
numbered”):
1) Start a new line in your document.
2) Type fn and then press the F3 key. A two-column table with no borders is inserted into
the document. The left column contains a sample formula and the right column contains a
reference number, as shown below.
E=mc
2 (1)
3) Delete the sample formula and insert your formula as an object in the left column.
4) Alternatively, you can first insert your formula into the document, then carry out Steps 1
and 2 above replacing the sample formula with your formula.
When creating or editing a formula, the Math menu becomes available.
When creating formulas, take care about the font sizes to make sure they are similar in size to
fonts used in the document. To change font attributes of a Math object, double-click in the
formula to enter edit mode and go to Format > Font Size on the Menu bar. To change font type,
use Format > Fonts.

Barcodes and QR codes

Writer, Calc, Impress, and Draw can generate barcodes and QR codes. Barcodes are used for
many purposes. A QR code (short for Quick Response code) is a type of barcode. QR codes
often contain data that points to a website or application.
1) Choose Insert > OLE Object > QR and Barcode on the Menu bar to open the QR and
Barcode dialog (Figure 446).
2) Fill in the URL/Text field, select an error correction factor (the complexity of the graphic
generated), the width of the margin around it, and the type of code, then click OK.
Figure 447 shows the code generated by the input in Figure 446. Figure 449 shows an ISBN
barcode generated by the input in Figure 448.
After the barcode or QR code has been generated, you can edit it by right-clicking in the code
and selecting Edit Barcode.

438 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Figure 446: Generating a QR code Figure 447: QR code example

Figure 449: Barcode

Figure 448: Generating a barcode example (ISBN)

Chapter 19, Spreadsheets, Charts, Other Objects | 439

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 20,
Customizing Writer
Introduction
This chapter briefly describes some of the setup options found under Tools > Options on the
Menu bar in Writer. Additional options, and more details about the ones given here, are covered
in the Help and in the Getting Started Guide. Several of the most relevant options are discussed
in other chapters of this book, in the context of tasks where they are most applicable.
This chapter also briefly describes some common customizations that you may wish to do. You
can customize menus, toolbars, and keyboard shortcuts, add new menus and toolbars, and
assign macros to events. Other customizations are made easy by extensions that you can install
from the LibreOffice website or from other providers. You may also choose to activate and use
some experimental features; see page 536.

Tip
Many options are intended for power users and programmers. If you don’t
understand what an option does, it’s usually best to leave it on the default setting
unless instructions in this book recommend changing the setting.

Note
Customizations to menus and toolbars can be saved in a template. To do so, first
save them in a document and then save the document as a template as described in
Chapter 10, Working with Templates. If you work on more than one project, you may
find that having different menus and toolbars can be useful.

Choosing options for all of LibreOffice

This section covers some of the settings that apply to all the components of LibreOffice (Writer,
Calc, Impress, Draw, Math, and Base) and that are particularly important when using Writer.
To navigate to options that apply to all LibreOffice components, click Tools > Options
(LibreOffice > Preferences on macOS) and then click the marker (+ or triangle) by LibreOffice
on the left-hand side. A list of pages drops down. Select an item in the list to display the relevant
page on the right-hand side of the dialog.

Tip
The Reset button (located in the lower part of any page of the Options dialog) resets
the values on that page to the values that were in place when you opened the dialog.
It may be called Revert on some installations.

If you are using a version of LibreOffice other than US English, some field labels may be different
from those shown in the illustrations.

User data
Because Writer can use the name or initials stored in the LibreOffice – User Data page for
several things, including document properties (‘created by’ and ‘last edited by’ information), the
name of the author of comments and changes, and the sender address in mailing lists, you will
want to ensure that the correct information appears here.
Fill in the form, or amend or delete any existing information. If you do not want user data to be
part of the document’s properties, deselect Use data for document properties.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 441

In the Cryptography section, you can set the preferred public key for OpenPGP encryption and
digital signature. These preferred keys will be pre-selected in the key selection dialog when you
sign or encrypt a document (see Chapter 7, Printing, Exporting, Emailing, Signing).

View options
The options on the LibreOffice – View page affect how the document window looks and behaves.
Set them to suit your personal preferences. For details, see the Help or the Getting Started
Guide.

Print options
On the LibreOffice – Print page, set the print options to suit your default printer and your most
common printing method.
In the Warnings section on the right side of the page, you can choose whether to be warned if the
paper size or orientation specified in your document does not match the paper size or orientation
available for your printer. Having these warnings turned on can be quite helpful, particularly if you
work with documents produced by people in other countries where the standard paper size is
different from yours.

Figure 450: Choosing general printing options for all components

Tip
If your printouts are incorrectly placed on the page or chopped off at the top, bottom,
or sides, or the printer is refusing to print, a likely cause is page size incompatibility.

Paths options
On the LibreOffice – Paths page, you can change the location of files associated with, or used by,
LibreOffice to suit your needs. For example, you might want to store documents by default
somewhere other than My Documents, or you might want to store project templates in folders not
in the supplied template paths. Multiple paths are possible, so you can add locations. For more
information, see the Getting Started Guide,

442 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Fonts options
If you receive a document containing fonts that you do not have on your system, LibreOffice will
substitute fonts for those it does not find. You might prefer to specify different fonts from the ones
that the program chooses. On the LibreOffice – Fonts page, you can specify replacement fonts.

Tip
Liberation fonts (Serif, Sans, and Mono) are often good choices to substitute for
Times, Arial, and Courier.

Note
The choices made here do not affect the default fonts in your documents. To do that,
see “Basic Fonts options” on page 517. To change more than the basic fonts, you
need to create a new default template for Writer documents; see Chapter 10,
Working with Templates.

Security options
Use the LibreOffice – Security page to choose security options for saving documents and for
opening documents that contain macros. For information on the options not mentioned here,
refer to the Help or the Getting Started Guide.
Security Options and Warnings
If you record changes, save multiple versions, or include hidden information or notes in
your documents, and you do not want some recipients to see that information, you can
set warnings to remind you to remove it, or you can have LibreOffice remove some of it
automatically. Note that unless the information is removed, much of it is retained even
when the file has been saved to other formats, including PDF.
Click the Options button to open a separate dialog with several options, including:
Remove personal information on saving
Select this option to always remove user data from the file properties when saving the file.
To save personal information with documents and still be able to manually remove
personal information only from specific documents, do not select this option.
Ctrl-click required to open hyperlinks
The default behavior in LibreOffice is that using Ctrl+click a hyperlink opens the linked
document or website. This is because many people find writing and editing documents
easier when accidental clicks on links do not activate the links. To set LibreOffice to
activate hyperlinks using just an ordinary click, do not select this option.

Application colors
Writing, editing, and (especially) page layout are often easier when you can see the page
margins (text boundaries), the boundaries of tables and sections, grid lines, and other features.
In addition, you might prefer to use colors that are different from LibreOffice’s defaults.
On the LibreOffice – Application colors page (Figure 451), you can specify which user interface
elements are visible and the colors used to display them.
• To show or hide items such as text boundaries, select or deselect the boxes in the On
column next to the names of the elements.
• To change the default colors for a specific element, click the down-arrow in the Color
setting column by the name of the element and select a color from the drop-down list.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 443

 • To save your color changes as a color scheme, click Save, type a name in the Scheme
box, and then click OK.

Note
To change the color settings used in Track Changes mode, go to Tools > Options >
LibreOffice Writer > Changes.

Figure 451: Showing or hiding text, object, and table boundaries

Choosing options for loading and saving documents

You can set the options for loading and saving documents to suit the way you work.
If the Options dialog is not already open, click Tools > Options. Click the expansion symbol (+ or
triangle) to the left of Load/Save.

General
Most of the choices on the Load/Save – General page (Figure 452) are familiar to users of other
office suites. Some items of interest are described below.
Load user-specific settings with the document
When a LibreOffice document is saved, certain settings from the user's system are saved
with it. When the document is opened on another user’s system, it will use the settings
saved from the previous user’s system. Deselecting this option causes the current user’s
settings to override the settings previously saved with the document.
Even if you deselect this option, some settings are always loaded with the document:
– Settings available in File > Print > Options.
– Spacing options for paragraphs before text tables.
– Information about automatic updating for links, field functions, and charts.
– Information about working with Asian character formats.
– Settings for any data sources linked to a document.

444 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 452: Choosing Load and Save options
Load printer settings with the document
If this option is enabled, the printer settings of the previous user will be loaded with the
document. In an office setting, this may cause a document to be printed on a distant
network printer unless the printer is manually changed in the Print dialog. If disabled, the
current user’s default printer will be used to print the document. The current printer
settings will be stored with the document whether or not this option is selected.
Save AutoRecovery information every __ minutes
Choose whether to enable AutoRecovery and how often to save the information used by
the AutoRecovery process. AutoRecovery in LibreOffice saves the information needed to
restore all open documents in case of a crash. If you have this option set, recovering your
document after a system crash will be easier.
Edit document properties before saving
If this option is selected, the document’s Properties dialog pops up to prompt you to enter
relevant information the first time you save a new document (or whenever you use Save
As).
Always create backup copy
Saves the previously saved version of a document as a backup copy in a separate folder
whenever you save a document. When LibreOffice creates a new backup copy, the
previous backup copy is replaced. The backup copy gets the extension .bak. To see or
change the backup folder, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Paths. When opening
a backup file, you will be prompted to specify the program to open it with; choose
LibreOffice.

Tip
Authors whose work may be very lengthy should always consider enabling
LibreOffice to create an automatic backup copy.

Save URLs relative to file system / to internet

Use these options to select the default for relative addressing of URLs in the file system
and on the Internet. For details, see the Getting Started Guide.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 445

 Default File Format and ODF Settings
ODF format version: LibreOffice by default saves documents in OpenDocument Format
(ODF) version 1.3 Extended. While this allows for improved functionality, there may be
backwards compatibility issues. When a file saved in ODF 1.3 Extended is opened in an
editor that uses an earlier version of ODF, some of the advanced features may be lost. If
you plan to share documents with people who use editors that use older versions of ODF,
you may wish to save the document using ODF 1.2 Extended (compatibility mode).
Document type: If you routinely share documents with users of Microsoft Word, you
might want to change the Always save as option to one of the Word formats. However,
you can choose a Word format when you save any individual file.

VBA Properties
On the VBA Properties page, you can choose whether to keep any macros in Microsoft Office
documents that are opened in LibreOffice. For details, see the Getting Started Guide.

Microsoft Office
On the Load/Save – Microsoft Office page, you can choose what to do when importing and
exporting Microsoft Office OLE objects (linked or embedded objects or documents such as
equations or spreadsheets): convert them into or from the corresponding LibreOffice OLE object
or load and save them in their original format. For details, see the Getting Started Guide.

HTML compatibility
Choices made on the Load/Save – HTML Compatibility page affect HTML pages imported into
LibreOffice and those exported from LibreOffice. For more information, see the Help and the
Getting Started Guide.

Choosing Writer-specific options

Settings chosen in the LibreOffice Writer section of the Options dialog determine how Writer
documents look and behave while you are working on them.
If the Options dialog is not already open, choose Tools > Options. Click the marker (+ or
triangle) by LibreOffice Writer on the left side of the dialog.

General options
The choices on the LibreOffice Writer – General page (Figure 453) affect the updating of links
and fields, the units used for rulers and other measurements, and the default tab stop positions.
Automatically Update [Fields and Charts]
You may not want fields or charts to update automatically while you are working, because
that slows down performance. Alternatively, you may want automatic updates if you are
referring to information in the fields or charts.
Update Links when Loading
Depending on your work patterns, you may not want links to be updated when you load a
document. For example, if your file links to other files on a network, you won’t want those
links to try to update when you are not connected to the network.

446 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 453: Choosing general options for Writer

Settings
Measurement unit
Document designers recommend using points as the default measurement because you
can easily relate things like font size to things like indents and tabs.
Tab stops
The Tab stops setting specifies the distance the cursor travels for each press of the Tab
key. This setting is also used for the indent distance applied by the Increase Indent and
Decrease Indent buttons on the Formatting Toolbar, which affect the indentation of entire
paragraphs.

Tip
To avoid unwanted changes, do not rely on default tab settings. Rather, define your
own tabs in paragraph styles or individual paragraphs (see Chapter 4, Formatting
Text).

Word Count
Additional separators
For counting words, specifies the characters that are considered to separate words, in
addition to spaces, tabs, line breaks, and paragraph breaks.
Show standardized page count
Editors and publishers often define a “standard” page as containing a specified number of
characters or words; this field allows quick calculation of the number of these pages.

View options
Two pages of options set the defaults for viewing Writer documents: View (described here) and
Formatting Aids (described on page 516). View is a good page to check if, for example, you
cannot see graphics on the screen.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 447

 Figure 454: Choosing default View options for Writer

Guides – Helplines While Moving

Helplines assist with precisely position a frame or drawing object on a page. When
enabled, horizontal and vertical lines appear that are the height and width of a selected
object. These lines extend across the complete working area as the object is moved.
Display Fields
Hidden text
Display text that is hidden by Conditional Text or Hidden Text fields.
Hidden paragraphs
Display paragraphs that contain a Hidden Paragraph field. This option has the same
function as the menu command View > Field Hidden Paragraphs.
Display tracked changes
Tracked deletions in margin
By default, deletions are shown in the text with a strikethrough font. To show deletions in
the margin, not in the text, select this option.
Tooltips on tracked changes
When this option is selected, hold the mouse pointer over a tracked change to show the
type of change, the author, date, and time of day for the change. To hide these tooltips,
deselect this option.
Outline Folding
Show outline-folding buttons
When this option is selected, a button with an arrow is visible near any selected heading
in your document. Click on it to “fold” (hide) all text from the current heading to the next
heading.
Include sub levels
If this option is also selected, clicking on a heading folds all text from that heading to the
next same-level heading with all its subheadings.
The other options should be self-explanatory. If not, please refer to the Help.

448 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Formatting Aids options
On the LibreOffice Writer – Formatting Aids page (Figure 455), select the desired options.

Figure 455: Choosing default Formatting Aids options

Layout Assistance – Math baseline alignment

To set the default vertical alignment for formula (Math) objects to use the text base line as
a reference, select this option. To enable changing the vertical positioning of objects,
deselect this option; you can then set the position for individual objects. See the Math
Guide for more information.
Display Formatting
The Display Formatting options determine which symbols show when you select View >
Formatting Marks on the Menu bar or the Formatting Marks icon on the Standard
toolbar. Symbols such as paragraph ends and tabs can help in writing, editing, and page
layout. For example, they can show if there are any blank paragraphs or if any tables or
graphics are too wide and intrude into the margins of the page.
Protected Areas – Enable cursor
When this option is selected, you can set the cursor in a protected area, but you cannot
make any changes. To make changes, you first need to unprotect the area. The methods
of protecting and unprotecting vary with the area.
Direct Cursor
Direct Cursor lets you enter text, images, tables, frames, and other objects in any blank
area in your document. Writer then inserts your choice of tabs, spaces, indents, and so on
to position the text or objects. For details on these choices, please see the Help.

Note
The direct cursor feature can lead to many formatting oddities and is incompatible
with rigorous use of styles.

Image – Anchor
You can choose the default anchor for newly added images: To Paragraph, To Character,
or As Character. For more about anchoring images, see Chapter 11, Images and
Graphics.

Grid options
Snap to grid automatically moves an object to the nearest gridlines. This can be very helpful
when you are trying to align several objects such as graphics or tables.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 449

On the LibreOffice Writer – Grid page (Figure 456), you can choose whether to enable this
feature and what grid intervals to use. If the grid intervals (subdivisions) are too large, you may
find that you do not have enough control in placing the objects.

Figure 456: Choosing Grid options for Writer

Basic Fonts options

On the LibreOffice Writer – Basic Fonts (Western) page (Figure 457), you can choose the fonts
and font sizes for the Default Paragraph Style, headings, lists, captions, and indexes. These
values are applied to new documents unless different settings are selected in the document itself
or defined in the document’s template.
To reset the values to the defaults when LibreOffice was installed, click the Default button.
If Asian and/or CTL have been activated in Languages, extra pages are provided for their font
options.

Figure 457: Choosing basic (default) fonts

Print options
On the LibreOffice Writer – Print page, you can choose which items are printed with a Writer
document by default. These options are in addition to the general options for all LibreOffice
components on the LibreOffice – Print page (see page 509).
Some considerations:
• When you are working on drafts and you want to save printer ink or toner, you might want
to deselect some of the items in the Contents section.
• The Print text in black option causes color text (but not graphics) to print as black on a
color printer; on a black-and-white printer, this option causes color text to print as solid
black instead of shades of gray (dithered).

450 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 • By comparison, the Convert colors to grayscale option on the Options – LibreOffice –
Print page (Figure 450), prints all text and graphics as grayscale on color printers. (On
black-and-white printers, color in graphics normally prints as grayscale.)
• If you are printing double-sided on a non-duplexing printer, you might choose to print only
left or right pages, then turn the stack over and print the other pages.

Tip
You can override any of these defaults when printing a specific document. Click File
> Print, then use the options on the various pages of the Print dialog.

Figure 458: Choosing default Print options for Writer

Table options
On the LibreOffice Writer – Table page (Figure 459), you can specify the default behavior of
tables. See the Help or Chapter 13, Tables, for more information.
Some considerations:
• If most of your tables will require borders or headings, you may wish to select those
options. If most of your tables are used for page layout, deselect Border and Heading.
• Select Do not split to prevent tables from being split across pages.
• Number recognition can be very useful if most of your tables contain numerical data.
Writer will recognize dates or currency, for example, and format the numbers
appropriately. However, if you want the numbers to remain as ordinary text, this feature
can be quite irritating, so you may want to deselect it.
• The Keyboard Handling section specifies the distances that cells move when you use
keyboard shortcuts to move them and the size of rows and columns inserted using
keyboard shortcuts. If you don’t use keyboard shortcuts for this purpose, you can ignore
these settings. See the Help for more information.
• The Behavior of rows/columns section specifies the effects that changes to rows or
columns have on adjacent rows or columns and the entire table. You might need to test
these selections to fully understand the effects.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 451

 Figure 459: Choosing default Table options

Changes options
If you plan to use the change-tracking feature of Writer (described in Chapter 3, Working with
Text: Advanced), use the LibreOffice Writer – Changes page (Figure 460) to choose the way
changes to text and formatting are marked. Change bars can show where a change has been
made to a line of text and are formatted under Lines Changed.

Figure 460: Choosing options for tracking changes

452 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Comparison options
The options on the LibreOffice Writer – Comparison page determine the level of detail used by
the Compare Document feature (Edit > Track Changes > Compare Document), described in
Chapter 3, Working with Text: Advanced.
You can choose whether to compare word-by-word, character-by-character, or using an algorithm
(Auto, which is the default). If you choose By word or By character, the random number choices
are activated and you can optionally specify the minimum number of characters to be compared
(Ignore pieces of length __).

Figure 461: Choosing options for comparing documents

Compatibility options
The settings on the LibreOffice Writer – Compatibility page (Figure 462) are used mainly when
importing documents from Microsoft Word. If you are not sure about the effects of these settings,
leave them as the defaults provided by LibreOffice. For information about settings that are not
described below, see the Help. All settings selected will apply only to the current document,
unless you select the Use as Default button at the bottom (not shown in the figure).

Figure 462: Choosing compatibility options

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 453

 Add spacing between paragraphs and tables
Paragraph spacing is treated differently in LibreOffice Writer than it is in Microsoft Word. If
you have defined spacing between paragraphs or tables in LibreOffice, this spacing is
added to the spacing defined in Microsoft Word. This only affects the current document.
If this option is selected, Microsoft Word-compatible spacing is added between
paragraphs and tables in LibreOffice Writer documents.
Add paragraph and table spacing at tops of pages
You can define paragraphs and tables to have space appear before (above) them. If this
option is selected, any space above a paragraph will also appear if the paragraph is at the
beginning of a page or column, or if the paragraph is positioned on the first page of the
document, or after a manual page break. This only affects the current document.
If you import a Microsoft Word document, the spaces are automatically added during the
conversion.
Add paragraph and table spacing at bottom of table cells
Specifies that the bottom spacing is added to a paragraph, even when it is the last
paragraph in a table cell.

AutoCaption options
LibreOffice can automatically insert captions for tables, pictures, frames, and OLE objects in a
Writer document. To set this up, use the options on the LibreOffice Writer > AutoCaption page.
Select the object you want to be automatically captioned (LibreOffice Writer Table in Figure 463).
With the item highlighted, specify the characteristics of the caption.

Figure 463: Setting up automatic captions

The categories supplied for captions are Drawing, Illustration, Table, and Text. To use another
name (for example, Figure) for the caption label, type the required term in the Category box.

Note
You may not want captions for every table, for example if you use tables for layout as
well as for tables of data. You can always add captions to individual tables, graphics,
or other objects (right-click > Insert Caption).

454 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Information about numbering captions by chapter, character styles, frame styles, and other items
on the AutoCaption page is given in other chapters in this book.

Mail Merge Email options

Using a data source such as an address book, Writer can insert personal, address, and other
information into form letters. These documents can be printed for mailing or they can be emailed
through Writer. See Chapter 14, Mail Merge, for details.
Use the LibreOffice Writer – Mail Merge Email page to set up the user and server information for
sending form letters by email. If you are not sure what information to put in any of the fields,
consult your email program or your internet service provider.

Figure 464: Specifying settings for use when emailing mail-merged form letters

Choosing language settings

You may need to do several things to get the language settings you want:
• Install the required dictionaries.
• Change some locale and language settings.
• Choose spelling and grammar options.
• Enable Language Tool.

Install the required dictionaries

LibreOffice automatically installs many language modules with the program. A language module
can contain up to three submodules: spelling dictionary, hyphenation dictionary, and thesaurus.
These are usually referred to as “dictionaries” in Writer.
To add other dictionaries, be sure you are connected to the Internet, and then choose Tools >
Language > More Dictionaries Online on the Menu bar. LibreOffice will open your default web
browser to a page containing links to additional dictionaries that you can install. Follow the
prompts to select and install the ones you want.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 455

Change some locale and language settings
You can change some details of the locale and language settings that LibreOffice uses for all
documents or for specific documents. See the Help for details on all these options.
In the Options dialog, click the expansion symbol (+ sign or triangle) by Language Settings and
choose Languages.
On the right-hand side of the Language Settings – Languages page (Figure 465), change the
settings as required. For more information about the fields on this page, see the Getting Started
Guide.

Figure 465: Choosing language options

In the example, English (USA) has been chosen for all the appropriate settings, but you could
choose a mixture of languages. For example, if you were working in Germany, you might prefer
the user interface to be in English (USA), but German (Germany) for the Locale setting, which
influences settings for numbering, currency, and units of measure.
If you want the language setting to apply to the current document only, instead of being the
default for all new documents, select For the current document only.
Changes to the system input language normally affect text typed into a document after the
change. If you do not want this to happen, select Ignore system input language; new text will
then continue to follow the language of the document or the paragraph, not the system language.
If necessary, select the options to enable support for Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese,
Korean) and support for CTL (complex text layout) languages such as Hindi, Thai, Hebrew, and
Arabic. If you choose either of these options, the next time you open the Options dialog, you will
see some extra pages under Language Settings. These pages are not discussed here.

456 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Choose spelling and grammar options
To change the options for checking spelling and grammar, use the Language Settings > Writing
Aids page (Figure 466).

Figure 466: Choosing languages, dictionaries, and options for checking spelling

Some considerations:
• If you want spelling checked while you type, you must select Check spelling as you
type. (You can over-ride this setting in a document using Tools > Automatic Spell
Checking on the Menu bar or the Toggle Automatic Spell Checking icon on the
Standard toolbar.)
• If you want grammar to be checked as you type, you must have Check spelling as you
type enabled too.
• If you use a custom dictionary that includes words in all uppercase and words with
numbers (for example, AS/400), select Check uppercase words and Check words
with numbers.
• Check special regions means that text in headers, footers, frames, and tables are also
checked when checking spelling.
Here you can also select which of the user-defined (custom) dictionaries are active, add a new
custom dictionary, edit dictionaries, and delete custom dictionaries. Dictionaries installed by the
system cannot be deleted. For details on using the Available Language Modules and User-
defined Dictionaries sections, please see the Help.

Tip
When checking spelling, words marked “Add to Dictionary” are added by default to
the standard dictionary. Words marked “Ignore All” are added to the List of Ignored
Words dictionary. See Chapter 2, Working with Text: Basics.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 457

Defining and using custom dictionaries
You can add a variety of custom (user-defined) dictionaries, including a dictionary of exceptions
(words to be avoided, which will be marked as incorrect) or dictionaries of project-specific terms
(words that will not be marked as incorrect). You can then select which, if any, of these custom
dictionaries to use (in addition to a standard dictionary) when setting up a document.
For more information, see Writing Aids in the Help.

Sentence checking
LibreOffice can check sentences in many languages. These checkers are enabled by default if
the language is the computer’s default language, and others can be added using the Extension
Manager (see page 533). The set of rules available for the sentence checkers depends on the
language.
On the Language Settings > English Sentence Checking page, you can choose which items are
checked for, reported to you, or converted automatically. This menu is also found in the English
dictionaries extension installed by default by LibreOffice (select Tools > Extension Manager,
select English spelling dictionaries and click the Options button to reveal the menu). Select
which of the optional features you wish to check. These are described in Chapter 2, Working with
Text: Basics.
After selecting the additional grammar checks, you must restart LibreOffice, or reload the
document, for them to take effect.

Activating Language Tool

Language Tool is a multilingual grammar, style, and spelling checker provided by
https://languagetool.org/. Its use is not described in this guide; please see the website for details.
If you have an API key for LanguageTool, you can activate the tool by selecting Enable
LanguageTool in Language Settings > LanguageTool Server Settings, then supply the
requested information (Base URL, Username, and API Key).

Customizing menus
You can add to and rearrange menus on the Menu bar, add commands to menus, and make
other changes. You can also modify context (right-click) menus in a similar way.
To customize a menu, choose Tools > Customize. On the Customize dialog, go to the Menus
tab (Figure 467) or the Context Menus tab.

458 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 467: The Menus tab of the Customize dialog

Modifying an existing menu

1) In the Scope drop-down list in the upper right of the Customize dialog, choose whether to
apply the customized menu to all of LibreOffice Writer or only to a specific document.
2) In the Target drop-down list, select the menu that you want to customize. The list includes
the main menus and submenus. The commands on the selected menu are shown in the
Assigned Commands list.
3) To add a command to the selected menu, click on a command in the Available
Commands list and then click the large right arrow. You can narrow the search by using
the Search box on the top left or selecting the Category in the drop-down list. Use the up
and down arrows on the right-hand side to move the command into the position where
you want it in the list.
4) To remove a command from the selected menu, click on it in the Assigned Commands list
and then click the large left arrow.
5) To insert a separator or submenu, select the item directly before where you want the
inserted item to appear, and use the commands in the Insert drop-down.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 459

 Figure 468: Insert drop-down
6) To rename a menu item, select it in the Assigned Commands list and choose Rename in
the Modify drop-down.

Figure 469: Modify drop-down

7) When you have finished making all your changes, click OK to save them.

Creating a new menu

You might find a “Favorites” menu useful, or a menu collecting tools for a specific project. To
create a new menu:
1) On the Menus tab of the Customize dialog, click the symbol next to Target and select Add
in the drop-down list (Figure 470) to display the New Menu dialog (Figure 471).

Figure 470: Location of command to add a new menu

2) Type a name for the new menu in the Menu name box.
3) Use the up and down arrow buttons to move the new menu into the required position on
the Menu bar.
4) Click OK to save and return to the Customize dialog.
The new menu now appears on the list of menus in the Customize dialog. It will appear on the
Menu bar itself after you save your customizations.
After creating a new menu, you need to add some commands to it, as described above for
modifying a menu.

460 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 471: Adding a new menu

Customizing toolbars
You can customize toolbars in several ways, including choosing which icons are visible and
locking the position of a docked toolbar (as described in Chapter 1, Introducing Writer), and
adding or deleting icons (commands) in the list of those available on a toolbar. You can also
create new toolbars.

Modifying existing toolbars

The procedures for creating and modifying a toolbar are similar to those for menus.
1) Choose Tools > Customize on the Menu bar.
2) On the Toolbars tab of the Customize dialog (Figure 472), in the Scope drop-down list on
the upper right, choose whether to save this changed toolbar for Writer or for a selected
document.
3) In the Target drop-down list, select the toolbar that you want to customize. The current
toolbar content is displayed in the Assigned Commands list.
4) Select a command in the Available Commands list on the left. You can narrow your
search by using the Search box on the top left or choosing a category in the drop-down
list just below.
5) Click on the large right arrow to add the selected command to the Assigned Commands
list for the toolbar (on the right). Use the up and down arrows in the far right to position
the command in the toolbar.
6) To remove a command from a toolbar, select it in the Assigned Commands list on the
right and click the large left arrow.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 461

 7) To show or hide a command assigned to a toolbar, select or clear the checkbox by its icon
in the Assigned Commands list on the right.
8) To insert a separator, select the item directly before where you want the separator to
appear, and use the command in the Insert drop-down.
9) To rename a toolbar item, select it in the Assigned Commands list and choose Rename in
the Modify drop-down.
When you have finished making all your changes, click OK to save them.

Figure 472: The Toolbars tab of the Customize dialog

Creating a new toolbar

To create a new toolbar:
1) Choose Tools > Customize on the Menu bar.
2) On the Toolbars tab of the Customize dialog, click the symbol next to Target and select
Add in the list, to display the Name dialog.
3) On the Name dialog, type the new toolbar's name and choose in the Save In drop-down
list where to save this new toolbar: for Writer or for a selected document.
The new toolbar now appears on the list of toolbars in the Customize dialog. After creating a new
toolbar, you need to add some commands to it, as described above.

462 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Choosing icons for toolbar commands
Toolbar buttons usually have icons, not words, on them, but not all of the commands have
associated icons. If the command does not have an icon, you can choose an icon for it. To
choose an icon, select the command in the list on the right, and click Modify > Change Icon. On
the Change Icon dialog (Figure 473), scroll through the available icons, select one, and click OK
to assign it to the command.
To use a custom icon, create it in a graphics program and import it into LibreOffice by clicking the
Import button on the Change Icon dialog. Custom icons should be 16×16 pixels in size to
achieve the best quality and should not contain more than 256 colors.

Figure 473: Change Icon dialog

Customizing the user interface

By default, LibreOffice Writer’s commands are grouped in cascading menus and in toolbars filled
with icons—the standard user interface described in Chapter 1. In addition, Writer provides other
user interface variations, displaying contextual groups of commands and contents. These are
described in Chapter 21, User Interface Variants.
When you set up Writer, you can choose one of these user interfaces, and you can switch
between them and the standard interface at any time.
In three variants (Tabbed, Tabbed Compact, and Groupedbar Compact), the area at the top of
the workspace is divided into tabs, where each tab displays a set of icons grouped by context.
The context can change depending on the object selected in the document, for example a table
or an image.
After one of these variants has been selected (using View > User Interface), you can use the
checkboxes on the Notebookbar tab of the Customize dialog (Figure 474) to show and hide the
individual options on the various tabs that are provided in the Tabbed mode user interface.
Use the Reset button to reset the selected configuration to the default settings.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 463

 Figure 474: The Notebookbar tab of the Customize dialog

Assigning shortcut keys

In addition to using the built-in keyboard shortcuts, you can define others. You can assign
shortcuts to standard LibreOffice functions or your own macros and save them for use with Writer
or with the entire LibreOffice suite.
To adapt shortcut keys to your needs, use the Keyboard tab of the Customize dialog (Figure
475).
1) Choose whether to have the shortcut key assignment available in all components of
LibreOffice or only in Writer.
2) Select the desired shortcut key in the Shortcut Keys list at the top of the page.
3) Select the required function in the Category and Function lists.
4) Click the Modify button. The selection now appears in the Keys list on the lower right.
5) Click OK to accept the change.
Repeat as required.

464 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Caution
Avoid reassigning your operating system’s predefined shortcut keys.

Figure 475: Defining keyboard shortcuts for applying styles

Note
Shortcut keys that are grayed-out in the listing on the Customize dialog, such as F1
and F10, are not available for reassignment.

Saving changes to a file

Changes to the shortcut key assignments can be saved in a keyboard configuration file for use at
a later time, so you can create and apply different configurations as needed. To save keyboard
shortcuts to a file:
1) After making keyboard shortcut assignments, click the Save button at the right of the
Customize dialog (Figure 475).
2) On the Save Keyboard Configuration dialog, type a name for the keyboard configuration
file in the File name box, or select an existing file from the list. Browse to the location
where you want to save the file. (The file extension is .cfg for Configuration.)
3) Click Save. A confirmation dialog appears if you are about to overwrite an existing file,
otherwise there will be no feedback and the file will be saved.

Loading a saved keyboard configuration

To load a saved keyboard configuration file and replace your existing configuration, click the
Load button on the Customize dialog, and then select the configuration file on the Load
Keyboard Configuration dialog.

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 465

Resetting the shortcut keys
To reset all of the keyboard shortcuts to their default values, click the Reset button on the
Customize dialog. Use this feature with care; no confirmation dialog will be displayed.

Assigning macros to events

In LibreOffice, when something happens, we say that an event occurred. For example, a
document is opened, a key is pressed, or the mouse moved. You can associate a macro with an
event, so the macro is run when the event occurs. For example, a common use is to assign the
“open document” event to run a macro that performs certain setup tasks for the document.
To associate a macro with an event, use the Events tab of the Customize dialog. For more
information, see the Getting Started Guide.

Adding functionality with extensions

An extension is a package that can be installed into LibreOffice to add new functionality.
Template sets, spelling dictionaries, clipart galleries, macros, and dialog libraries can be
packaged as LibreOffice extensions. They can add new top-level menus, submenus or toolbar
icons. Extensions may also have their own settings, available from the extension manager.
Several extensions are shipped bundled with LibreOffice and are installed with the program.
These can only be removed by changing the installation options. Others can be downloaded from
various websites. The official extension repository is located at https://extensions.libreoffice.org/.
These extensions are free of charge.
Some extensions from other sources are free of charge; others are available for a fee. Check the
descriptions to see what licenses and fees apply to the ones that interest you.
Download the extension to your computer in any folder that you want (usually folder Download).

Installing extensions
To install an extension that is listed in the repository, follow these steps:
1) In LibreOffice, select Tools > Extension Manager on the Menu bar.
2) In the Extension Manager dialog (Figure 476), click Get more extensions online.
3) An internet browser window opens. Find and select the extension you want to install and
download it to your computer.
4) After the extension is downloaded and saved, return to the Extension Manager dialog and
click Add. Find and select the extension you want to install and click Open. The
extension begins installing. You may be asked to accept a license agreement.
5) When the installation is complete, the extension is listed in the Extension Manager dialog.
To install an extension that is not listed in the repository, download the extension, then continue
with step 3 above.

Updating extensions
Click the Check for Updates button on the Extension Manager dialog to check for updates to
installed extensions.

466 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

 Figure 476: Using the Extension Manager

Removing and disabling extensions

To remove (uninstall) an extension that you installed, select the extension in the main window of
the Extension Manager dialog and click the Remove button.
To disable an extension without removing (uninstalling) it, select the extension in the main
window of the Extension Manager dialog and click the Disable button, which then changes to
Enable.

Adding fonts
LibreOffice supports PostScript (.pfb), TrueType (.ttf), and OpenType (.otf) font file formats. Other
font formats exist, and may be supported by your operating system, but these formats may be
limited in selection and quality.
If you have administration privileges, you can install additional fonts through your operating
system; they will then be available for use by LibreOffice and will appear in Writer’s font lists.

Finding free-licensed fonts

In addition to proprietary fonts from sources like Adobe, hundreds of free-licensed fonts are
available. You can use, share, and edit free-licensed fonts as you please. Most are available at
no cost. Many are clones or near-variations of classic fonts, but some are original fonts.
Many Linux distributions include a few free-licensed fonts in their package repositories. Other
places where you can find free-licensed fonts include The League of Moveable Type
(https://www.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/) and the Font Library (https://fontlibrary.org/).

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 467

Adding custom colors
To add custom colors to a color palette, for example to exactly match a corporate color scheme,
follow this procedure:
1) Insert any drawing object, such as a square, into any document.
2) Right-click on the object and choose Area in the context menu.
3) Go to the Color tab (Figure 477). Under Colors > Palette, choose which palette you wish
to add the new color to. Under New, define the new color using RGB or Hex notation, or
click the Pick button to select the color on the Pick a Color dialog (Figure 478).

Figure 477: Defining a new color

4) Click Add in the lower left corner, enter a name for the new color in the pop-up dialog,
and click OK to save.
5) Delete the drawing object from the document, if it is not needed.

468 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Figure 478: Defining a color by picking it from a color chart

Chapter 20, Customizing Writer | 469

 Writer Guide 7.5

Chapter 21,
User Interface Variants
Introduction
By default, LibreOffice Writer’s commands are grouped in cascading menus and in toolbars filled
with icons—the standard user interface described in Chapter 1. These menus and toolbars are
described in the chapters that discuss the related tasks and functions.
In addition, Writer provides other user interface variants, displaying contextual groups of
commands and contents. This chapter describes these user interface variants and provides a
quick reference to the location of the tools and functions when using each of the variants.

Selecting the user interface

When you set up Writer, you can choose one of these user interfaces, and you can switch
between them and the standard interface at any time.
1) Choose View > User Interface on the Menu bar.
2) On the Select Your Preferred User Interface dialog (Figure 479), choose one of the
variants on the left. An example of the variant is shown in the Preview box on the right,
along with a short description.
3) Choose the relevant button to apply your selection to all components of LibreOffice, or
only to Writer. The Writer window changes to match your selection.
4) Click Close to close the dialog.

Figure 479: Selecting a user interface

If you have activated experimental features (Tools > Options > Advanced), several more
choices appear on the left-hand side. These choices are not described here.

Standard interfaces
Three of the user interface choices in Figure 479 are described in Chapter 1, Introducing Writer.
Standard Toolbar
Classic mode with two visible toolbars: standard and formatting. The sidebar shows only
its tabs.
Single Toolbar
Only one toolbar with frequently used features. The sidebar shows only its Hide button.
Sidebar
The sidebar is fully opened and only one toolbar (Formatting) is showing.

Chapter 21, User Interface Variants | 471

The elements on each of the standard user interfaces can be modified using the View menu on
the Menu bar.

Tabbed interface
The Tabbed interface (Figure 480) provides a familiar interface for users coming from proprietary
office suites such as Microsoft Office. It includes a Menu bar, an Icon bar, a Tab bar, icons for the
active tab, one or more tab-specific menus, and a Quick Menu. On Windows and Linux, the
Menu bar can be hidden or displayed by clicking on the Menu Bar icon in the Icon bar (Figure
482).

1 Icon bar 2 Active tab 3 Icons on active tab 4 Tabs 5 Tab menus 6 Quick menu
Figure 480: Tabbed Interface with Menu bar hidden
In Writer, this user interface variant includes nine fixed tabs and five additional tabs. Each tab
displays a set of icons grouped by context. The context can change depending on the location of
the cursor or the item selected. Each tab also includes one or more tab-specific drop-down
menus at the right-hand end. The Quick Menu is the same for all tabs.
The Tabbed interface can be customized using the Notebookbar tab of the Customize dialog to
show and hide the individual icons on the various tabs. See Chapter 20, Customizing Writer, for
more information.
If the icons on a tab do not fit into the width of the Writer window, >> appears at the end of the
row. Click it to display the other commands (Figure 481).

Figure 481: Displaying more commands on a tab

Icon bar
The icon bar (Figure 482) is located at the top left of the tabs.

Figure 482: Tabs – Icon box

1 Menu bar – Show / Hide the menu bar.
2 Open (Ctrl+O) – Open a file browser, where you can select the file to be opened.
3 Save (Ctrl+S) – Save the open file.
4 Undo (Ctrl+Z) – Undo the last action performed.
5 Redo (Ctrl+Y) – Redo the last undone action.
6 Print (Ctrl+P) – Open the Print dialog.

472 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Quick menu
At the right-hand end of the tab bar is a Quick menu (Figure 483) containing some commonly
used commands and links. Some of the Quick menu items have submenus, indicated by arrows
on the right.

Figure 483: Quick menu

Fixed tabs
The fixed tabs in Writer are File, Home, Insert, Layout, References, Review, View, Extension,
and Tools. The tabs are described on the following pages. The illustrations show the left and
right ends of the tabs separately so they are large enough to more easily see the commands.

File tab
The File tab (Figure 484) includes commands to create new documents; open, save, print, and
close documents; manage templates; export to PDF and EPUB; display document properties;
add a digital signature; and sign an existing PDF.

Figure 484: Tabbed Interface – File tab

Chapter 21, User Interface Variants | 473

The File tab has two menus (Figure 485): File and Help. The File menu contains the same
commands as the icons on the tab. The Help menu provides links to a variety of resources.

Figure 485: File tab menus

Home tab
The Home tab (Figure 486) includes commands to cut, copy, paste, and format text; insert
common items (image, table, special characters, and page break); apply, update, and edit styles;
and others.

Figure 486: Tabbed Interface – Home tab

474 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The Home menu (Figure 487) provides additional commands that are not on the tab.

Figure 487: Home tab menu

Insert tab
The Insert tab (Figure 488) includes commands to insert many commonly used items.

Figure 488: Tabbed Interface – Insert tab

Chapter 21, User Interface Variants | 475

The Insert menu (Figure 489) provides some of the same commands.

Figure 489: Insert tab menu

Layout tab
The Layout tab (Figure 490) provides commands for working on page layout.

Figure 490: Tabbed Interface – Layout tab

476 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The Layout menu (Figure 491) provides commands for a few of the same items.

Figure 491: Layout tab menu

References tab
The References tab (Figure 492) provides commands for working with tables of contents,
indexes, footnotes and endnotes, cross-references, bibliographies, and fields.

Figure 492: Tabbed Interface – References tab

The References menu (Figure 493) provides many of the same commands.

Figure 493: References tab menu

Chapter 21, User Interface Variants | 477

Review tab
The Review tab (Figure 494) assists in editing. It provides quick access to recording, showing,
hiding, and managing changes.

Figure 494: Tabbed Interface – Review tab

The Review menu (Figure 495) provides many of the same commands.

Figure 495: Review tab menu

478 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

View tab
The View tab (Figure 496) provides commands related to the display of a document on screen.

Figure 496: Tabbed Interface – View tab

The View menu (Figure 497) provides many of the same commands.

Figure 497: View tab menu

Extension tab
The Extension tab (Figure 498) contains only the menu for accessing the Extension Manager.

Figure 498: Tabbed Interface – Extension tab

Chapter 21, User Interface Variants | 479

Tools tab
The Tools tab (Figure 499) provides several tools for macros, mail merge, and form creation.

Figure 499: Tabbed Interface – Tools tab

The Tools menu (Figure 500) provides some of the same commands.

Figure 500: Tools tab menu

Additional tabs
Additional tabs appear when an item is selected; they are displayed between the View and
Extension tabs. The additional tabs in Writer are Draw, Image, Media, Object, and Table.

Draw tab
The Draw tab (Figure 501) is displayed when a drawing object is selected. It provides commands
for captioning and modifying the drawing object and for inserting and modifying Fontwork objects.

480 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Figure 501: Tabbed Interface – Draw tab

The Draw menu (Figure 502) provides a subset of commands, which vary depending on the
drawing object.

Figure 502: Draw tab menu examples

Image tab
The Image tab (Figure 503) provides commands for working with images, including captions,
cropping, borders and area styles and colors, anchors, wrapping, positioning, and filtering.

Figure 503: Tabbed Interface – Image tab

Chapter 21, User Interface Variants | 481

The Image menu (Figure 504) provides links to dialogs for working with images.

Figure 504: Image tab menu

Media tab
The Media tab (Figure 505) provides commands for positioning and running an audio or video
file.

Figure 505: Tabbed Interface – Media tab

The Media menu (Figure 506) provides some of the same commands

Figure 506: Media tab menu

482 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

Object tab
The Object tab (Figure 507) provides commands to position, resize, link, choose colors and
borders for the selected object. The illustration shows the tab when a frame is selected.

Figure 507: Tabbed Interface – Object tab

The Object menu (Figure 508) provides a few of the same commands. The illustration shows the
menu when a frame is selected.

Figure 508: Object tab menu

Table tab
The Table tab (Figure 509) is opened when the cursor is in a table.

Figure 509: Tabbed Interface – Table tab

Chapter 21, User Interface Variants | 483

The Table menu (Figure 510) includes some commands not shown on the tab.

Figure 510: Table tab menu

Tabbed Compact interface

The Tabbed Compact interface has the same tabs as the Tabbed interface, but the commands on
each tab are arranged in a single row of icons, many with drop-down menus of choices.

Figure 511: Tabbed Compact interface example: Insert tab

Groupedbar Compact interface

The Groupedbar Compact interface (Figure 512) is divided into groups that contain commands
organized as sets of icons and menus.

Figure 512: Groupedbar Compact interface example

484 | LibreOffice 7.5 Writer Guide

The Groupedbar menu (Figure 513) provides a subset of commands, including a convenient way
to change the user interface.

Figure 513: Groupedbar menu

Contextual Single interface

The Contextual Single interface displays a standard Menu bar and a single toolbar with context-
dependent content.

Chapter 21, User Interface Variants | 485