University of Cambridge – Computer Literacy and Information Technology Microsoft Publisher

Introduction

Publisher a desktop publishing software that allows you to easily create custom, professional-looking
publications such as brochures, business cards, flyers, and more.

CREATING A NEW PUBLICATION WITH A TEMPLATE

Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing application that allows you to create and fine-tune
publications from a variety of templates or blank publications.

You can create many different types of publications including items such as promotional flyers,
company brochures, garage sale flyers, business cards, school newsletters, and more.

Sample Publication

Publisher has many types of templates available for you to use. These include Quick Publications,
Advertisements, Brochures, Flyers, Greeting Cards, and so much more. You can click on each of these
headings to display subheadings with additional templates.

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CHOOSING A TEMPLATE

The task pane, which is located on the left side of the screen, is the "heart" of Publisher. From this task
pane, you can access many Publisher features, including templates.

NEW PUBLICATION TASK PANE OPTIONS:

Publications for Print: Templates are arranged by categories such as brochures, flyers, business
cards, etc.

Design Sets: Templates are arranged by style and design. This is especially helpful for businesses that
may want to use publications that have a consistent look and feel.

Web Sites and E-mail: templates are available to create a basic web site or e-mail background.

Blank Publications: This section allows you to choose from a variety of blank layouts and create a
custom publication.

To Select a Sale Flyer Template:

 Click Publications for Print in the task pane.

 Click Flyer.
 Click For Sale Flyer 2.

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To Enter Information into the Personal Information Dialog Box:

If this is the first Publisher publication you have created, the Personal Information dialog box will
appear.

 Select personal information set from the drop-down box.

 Enter your information into the available fields. Leave the fields blank if you do not have
information to enter.
 Click OK.

Configuring Publisher

You can configure Publisher in many different ways. You have the ability to change default settings,
move toolbars, display or hide specific buttons, and more. As you become more familiar with Publisher,
you may find that you have a preference as to how you accomplish specific tasks. In the meantime,
you may want to configure Publisher in the way that we recommend.

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THE PUBLISHER WINDOW:

Depending if the version of Publisher on your computer has been used before, various toolbars may
appear by default when you first open Publisher. Take a look at the toolbars displayed in the example
below.

To Move Toolbars to a Different Location on the Screen:

 Place your cursor over the dotted line at the end of the toolbar.
 Click and Drag the toolbar to the desired location on the screen.
 Release the mouse button.

To Switch a Toolbar On or Off:

 Select View Toolbars from the main menu.

 Select any toolbar to turn it on or off.
o Check Mark: The toolbar is currently displayed if there is a check mark beside it.
o No Check Mark: The toolbar is not displayed if there is not a check mark beside it.

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To Add or Remove Buttons to a Toolbar:

 Select the drop-down arrow at the end of each toolbar.

 Select Add or Remove Buttons.
 Select the name of the toolbar.
 Select a button to display or hide it.
o Check Mark: The button is currently available if there is a check mark beside it.
o No Check Mark: The button is not available if there is not a check mark beside it.

To Access Your Options Dialog Box:

 Select Tools Options from the main menu. The Options dialog box will appear.

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We recommend you maintain all the default settings until you are more familiar with Publisher.

To Access the Help Features:

 Enter any keywords in the Quick Search box.

 Click Enter on your keyboard. The search results will appear in the task pane.

You can always use the Help feature from the main menu.

MODIFYING OBJECTS BASICS

Publisher classifies AutoShapes, textboxes, pictures, clip art, and tables as objects. In Publisher, you
have the ability to resize, rotate, and move any object. You can also make other simple modifications to
the object, including changing the fill color or border.

To Resize an Object:

 Select the object. You will know the object is selected when open
circles appear around it.
 Place your cursor over one of the open circles that surround the
object. The resize cursor will appear. The resize cursor has an
arrow on each end.
 Click and drag the object until it is the desired size.
 Release the mouse button.

To Rotate or Flip an Object:

Publisher allows you to rotate an object in 90 degree increments, or pick anything in between using Free
Rotate.

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 Select the object.

 Select Arrange Rotate or Flip from the main menu.
 Select the type of rotation you wish to apply to the object.
 If you select Free Rotate:
o A Green circle will appear above the object.
o Click on the green circle and drag to rotate the object.
o Release the mouse button.

To Move an Object:

 Select the object.

 Place your cursor anywhere over the object. The move
cursor will appear. The Move cursor is shaped like a cross
with four arrows.
 Click and drag the object to the desired location.
 Release the mouse button.

To Change Color:

 Select the object.

 Select the fill button from the standard toolbar. The fill button looks like a paint bucket.
 Click the small triangle next to the fill button to select a color.
 Click a color and release the mouse button.

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 Note: if you want to select a custom color, select more colors.

 Choose a color and click OK

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WORKING WITH TEXT BOXES

Text boxes are a type of object. Many of the same functions you can do with objects also apply to text
boxes, such as Rotate, Resize, and Move. In addition, you can change the background and, most
importantly, the contents of a text box. Most templates include text boxes with sample text to help you
with the layout.

Using the Zoom Features

Since the text you wish to work with may be too small to read, you will need to zoom in or out using the
standard toolbar. Select a zoom percentage or click the zoom in or out icons, to do this.

To Edit the Contents of a Text Box:

 Click the text box and use your cursor to select the text.
 Use the keyboard to enter the text that you wish to appear in the box.
 Tip: Be careful not to make your text too long - be a concise as possible.

Don't forget - You can Rotate, Resize, and Move a text box just like any other object.

To Change the Background Color of a Text Box

 Select the text box.

 Click the down arrow beside the fill button on the standard toolbar.
 Select a color or fill effect to apply to the text box.
 If you select a fill effect, you can choose from several options including gradients, textures,
patterns or tints.

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CHANGING FONT STYLE, SIZE, AND COLOR

Color and fonts are an important part of a successful Publisher document. Since the range of choices for
color palettes and fonts can get overwhelming, Publisher provides pre-selected fonts and colors that
work well together. These Color Schemes and Font Schemes can take much of the guesswork out of
designing your document, and can make a big difference in the impact of your document. And, if you
want to branch out from the provided Schemes, you can also adjust the color and fonts of each item in
your document individually.

Using a Color Scheme or Font Scheme:

 In the Task Pane, click on Color Scheme or Font Scheme.

 Try different choices for color palettes or fonts.

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Change the Font of a textbox:

 Select the text that you want to change.

 Use the icons on the formatting toolbar to change the following:
o Select a Font Face from the font list.
o Click the Bold, Italic, or Underline icons.
o Change font color using the arrow next to the Font Color icon.

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Design Tips

 Be careful with color contrast - don't use light fonts on a light background or dark fonts on a
dark background - the result can be very hard to read.
 Try to limit the number of different fonts or colors in your document - they can get distracting

Formatting Lines and Background Colors

Lines and background colors are a great way to add impact to your document. Lines may be used for
visual emphasis, to divide parts of a document, or to suggest things like perforations. A good background
color can help your design stand out from the page.

To Format a Line:

 Click on a line to select it.

 To change the line color:
o Click the small triangle next to the line color icon on the formatting toolbar.
o Select a color from the list or open the More Colors dialog box.
 To change the line style:
o Click the Line Border Style Button on the Formatting Toolbar.
o Select a line thickness or weight.
o Select Advanced Options to choose advanced formatting.

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To Change the Background Color of a Publication:

 Go to the Main Menu and Select Format Background.

 The Background Color options will appear in the Task Pane.
 Select the color to apply to your publication.

NAVIGATING LONGER DOCUMENTS

In addition to one page publications like flyers and advertisements, Publisher can be very useful in
creating multi-page documents such as Newsletters. Quite often, the template that you select will have
more pages than you need. In this case you will need to navigate a document and move, insert, rename,
or delete pages.

You can navigate through a publication by clicking on the page icons at the bottom of the screen.

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To Insert a Page:

 Right-click on a page icon.

 Select Insert Page from the Context Menu.
 The Insert Pages Dialog Box will appear.

 Select the type of page you want to insert. These are dependent on the template that you are
using.
 Select a page type to include a particular template.
 Select More options to insert more than one page or to control where a page is inserted.
 Click OK.

To Delete Unused Pages

 Right-click on a page.
 Select Delete Page from the Context Menu.

To Move a Page:

 Select one or more pages using the page icons.

 Right-click and select Move from the Context Menu.
 The Move Page Dialog Box will appear.

 Select Before or After.

 Select a page from the list to move.
 Click OK.
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To Rename a Page

 Right-click on a page icon.

 Select Rename.
 Enter a new name in the Rename Page dialog box.
 Click OK.

Turn On or Off Two-Page Spread

 Right-click a page icon.

 Select View Two-Page Spread to turn it on or off

GROUPING AND UNGROUPING OBJECTS

Publisher allows you to group or combine multiple objects into one object. This can make it a lot easier
to work with multiple objects since you can flip, rotate, resize, or change the color of all the objects in a
group at the same time - just like a single object.

To Group Objects Together:

 Hold down the shift key and select each of the objects that you would like to group.
 Or, click the select object icon (shaped like an arrow) on the objects toolbar and drag a
selection box around the objects you want to group.
 Click the Group Object icon that appears below the objects.

Moving Grouped Objects:

Once objects are in a group, they can be moved just like any other object.

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To Ungroup Objects:

 Select a group of objects.

 Click the Ungroup Objects icon that appears below the group

MODIFYING SPACING

Modifying Spacing within Text

Publisher lets you modify the way text is spaced on a page. This can help make your publications easier
to read and have greater impact. You can control the spacing between paragraphs, lines and even
letters. You can also change the alignment of a block of text.

To Change Paragraph Spacing:

 Select the text you want to change.

 From the main menu select Format Paragraph.
 The Paragraph Spacing dialog box will appear.

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 Select the Indents and Spacing tab.

 Adjust spacing before or after paragraphs in the Line Spacing section.
 View the preview in the sample area.
 Click OK.

To Modify Line Spacing:

 Select the text you want to change.

 Open the Paragraph Spacing dialog box.
 Select the Indents and Spacing tab.
 In the Line Spacing section, adjust the spacing Between lines.
 View the preview in the sample area.
 Click OK.

To modify text alignment

 Select the text you want to change.

 Open the Paragraph spacing dialog box.
 Select the Indents and Spacing tab.
 Select an Alignment Option (left, center, right) from the General section.
 Or, use the alignment icons on the formatting toolbar.

To Change Character Spacing:

 Select the text you want to change.

 Main Menu select Format Character Spacing.
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 The Character Spacing dialog box will appear. From the Character Spacing dialog box you can:
o Shrink or Stretch text (Scaling)
o Change the space between all characters (Tracking)
o Change the space between specific characters (Kerning)

Working with Images

Images can have a major impact on your publications. Publisher provides several options for adding
images such as clip art or digital pictures to your publications.

To Insert a Clip Art Object:

 Go to the Main Menu and select Insert Picture Clip Art.

 The Clip Art window appears in the Task Pane.
 Search for a particular subject of clip art. You can refine your results by specifying a collection or
file type.
 Click the clip art you want to insert. It will appear in your document.
 Move and resize the clip art object as needed.

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To Delete an Image:

 Select the object you want to delete.

 Press the delete key or Right-click and select Delete Object.

To Insert a Picture:

 Go to the Main Menu and select Insert Picture From File.

 Browse to the image you want in the Insert Picture dialog box.
 Click Insert to insert it into the publication.
 Move and resize the picture object as needed.

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Using the Picture Toolbar:

 Use the Picture tool bar to:

o Change color
o Adjust contrast and brightness
o Crop an image using the crop icon
o Add a line or border
o Change line or border thickness

WORDART AND BORDERART

You can use BorderArt and WordArt to draw interest to your publications. But be careful, a little be can
go a long way. You want to be careful not to be distracting.

To Apply Border Art to a Section of a Page

 First, draw a rectangle to use as the border:

o Click the Rectangle icon on the Objects Toolbar. A cross shaped cursor will appear in
your document.
o Position your mouse in the upper-left corner where you want your object.
o Click and drag your mouse to draw the rectangle.
o Move and resize the rectangle as needed.
 Second, apply BorderArt:
o Select Format Autoshape from the Main menu.
o Click the BorderArt button in the the Format Autoshape dialog box.
o The BorderArt dialog box will appear
o Select a border from the list. Check the effect in the preview area.
o Click OK, Then Click OK in the Format AutoShapes dialog box.

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To Create Word Art:

 Click the Insert WordArt icon on the Object Toolbar.

 The WordArt dialog Box will appear.

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 Select a style from the list.

 Click OK.
 Enter the text in the Edit WordArt dialog box.
 Change the font, size, or style (bold or italic) if needed.
 Click OK.
 Move and resize the WordArt as needed.

USING THE WORDART TOOLBAR:

 Select a WordArt object to make the WordArt Toolbar appear.

 Click Edit Text to edit the text.
 Click the Change Shape icon (distorted letter A) to change the shape of the WordArt.
 Click OK

INSERTING, DELETING, AND MODIFYING OBJECTS

Working with Objects

AutoShapes in Publisher are a group of shapes that you can add to your publications. Shape options
include stars, banners, lines, triangles, and much more. AutoShapes are considered a Publisher object,
just like text boxes and images. Like all Publisher objects, AutoShapes can be stacked or arranged in a
different order. To help with layout, Publisher allows you to align or "snap" objects to other objects or
guides.

Insert a Rectangle:

 Click the Rectangle icon on the Object Toolbar.

 The insert shape cursor (two crossed lines) will appear.
 Click and drag your mouse to draw the rectangle.
 Add Fill color, line color using the Formatting Toolbar.
 Resize and Move the shape as needed.
 You can also insert Ovals, Arrows, and Lines using the corresponding buttons on the Object
toolbar.

Insert an AutoShape:

 Click the Insert AutoShape Icon on Formatting toolbar.

 Click and drag the cursor to draw the AutoShape to a desired size.
 Release the mouse and the shape will appear.
 Add fill and line color.

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To Delete an Object or AutoShape:

 Select the object to delete.

 Press the delete key or right-click and select delete.

Arrange Objects:

You can order or change the way objects stack or overlap in your publication. If two or more objects
overlap you can change the order:

 Select the object you want to move forward or backward.

 Go to the main menu and select Arrange Order.
 Select how you want to move the selected object.
 Click OK.

Using the Snap Feature:

 Select Arrange Snap from the Main menu.

 Select a Snap option.
o Other objects will snap or align with the nearest object.
o Ruler guides will snap or align to the nearest ruler guide.
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Using Ruler Guides:

 Click and drag the vertical or horizontal Ruler. A guide will appear. Click and drag the guide to
reposition it.
 Move an object near the guide. It will snap to the guide.

PAGE SETUP AND PRINT SETUP OPTIONS

In addition to page setup options, Publisher allows you to preview a publication before you print it. Print
preview is an important step in making your documents the best they can be, and it can help you
identify problems without wasting paper.

PAGE SETUP

 Go to the Main Menu and select File Page Setup.

 The Page Setup dialog box will appear.

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 You can change the Publication type for your document (the options available may depend on
the template)
 Various Page Size options may be available for different Publication types.
 The Orientation option allows you to print vertically (Portrait) or horizontally (Landscape).
 Preview allows you to see the different options.

Print Preview

 Go to the Main Menu and select File Print Preview.

 Your publication will now be visible in the Preview format.

 There are several options available on the Print Preview toolbar:

o Page up or Page down for multi-page documents.
o View multiple pages at once using the Multiple pages icon. Drag to select how many
pages you want to view at once.
o Use the Zoom tools to see parts of your document close up.
o Use the Color/Grey scale icon to see how your document would look without color.
o Click Close to return to your document.

To Print a Publication

 Go to the Main Menu and select File Print.

 The Print dialog box will appear.
 Select the printer you wish to use (if you have more than one).
 Change the settings in Print range if you want to print part of your document.
 Select the Number of copies you wish to print.
 Check Collate if you are printing more than one copy and you want the printer to keep them
organized.
 Click OK.

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CREATING A NEW, BLANK PUBLICATION

Publisher provides several options when you want to move beyond the pre-designed templates and
create your own publication designs. You can create a document completely on your own without any
design assistance, or you can use the designs and layouts provided to enhance your ideas.

Creating a Blank Publication

 Select File New on the Main menu to show the New Publication task pane.
 Click on Blank Publications to preview the different types that are available.
 Select a publication by clicking on its preview icon to the right of the task pane.
 Customize your blank publication by inserting the pictures, shapes and text that you want.

With a blank publication you can do anything you want. It's up to you!

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Selecting a Page Layout

If you don't want to start with a completely blank document, Publisher can help you with various page
layout options.

 Select Quick Publication Options in the task pane. A list of page Layout designs will appear.
 Click on the different layout designs to preview them in your document.
 Enter your own text into the publication, once you find a layout that you want to use. If you
decide to select a different layout, the text you enter will appear in the new layout.

ADDING TEXT BOXES

Inserting Text Boxes

In addition to all the options available for changing and formatting text, Publisher allows you to insert as
many text boxes as you want into your publications.

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To Insert a Text Box

 Click the Text box icon on the Objects toolbar. Or, select Insert Text box on the main
menu. The cursor changes to two crossed lines.

 Click and drag the mouse to create a text box of any size. You can always resize or move it later.
 Enter your text into the new text box.

Using the AutoFit Option

While you can always adjust the text in a text box by using the font tools on the formatting toolbar,
Publisher allows you to AutoFit text so it will shrink or expand automatically when you resize the text
box.

 Select Format AutoFit.

 Select from the AutoFit options:
o Do Not AutoFit - the default option.
o Best Fit - Publisher will try to fit the text without making it too small.
o Shrink Text On Overflow - Publisher will make the text as small as necessary to fit
with the text box.
 Resize the text box and observe how publisher modifies the text.

Once you are done working with a text box, click anywhere outside of the box to
deselect it.

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FORMATTING BULLETED AND NUMBERED LISTS

Working with Lists

You can use bulleted or numbered lists to draw attention to certain parts of your publication. They can
help you break large blocks of text into much smaller and easier to read chunks. You can also change
the style of the numbers or bullets in your lists.

Creating a List

 Select the text that you want to format as a list.

 Click the Number or Bullet list icon on the Formatting toolbar.
 Position your cursor at the end of a list item and press the enter key to add an item to the list.
 To remove numbers or bullets from a list,
select the list and click the Number or
Bullet list icon, which corresponds to the
type of list.

Customizing Lists

 Select all of the text in an existing list.

 Select Format Bullets and
Numbering on the main menu. The
Bullets and Numbering dialog box will
appear.
 Click on the Bullets or Numbers tab
corresponding to your list.
 Depending on the type of list, you can
change the following:
o Bullet character or number
format.
o The bullet or number size.
o The spacing between bullet or
number and the text.
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 To use a different character as a bullet:

o Click Character in the Bullets and Numbering dialog box.
o Select a Font from the list to see the available characters.
o Select a character and click OK.
o Click OK in the Bullets and Numbering dialog box.

INSERTING A TABLE AND TEXT

Adding a Table to a Publication

Tables can help you present information in an organized manner. Publisher provides extensive tools for
working with tables.

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To Insert a Table:

 Click the Insert Table icon on the Object toolbar. Or, select Table Insert Table on the
main menu. The insert table cursor will appear.
 Click and drag the cursor to position the table in the document and release the mouse. The
Create Table dialog box will appear.

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 You can set the number of rows and columns, and select a Table format.

 Click on any box, or cell, in the table to add or change text. If you selected a Table format, the
text may have formatting already applied.

Formatting Text in a Table

You can format the text in a table by selecting it and using the icons on the Formatting toolbar. You can
change the font, font size, style, color, and alignment of the text.

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Formatting a Table

Once you insert a table in your document, you may want to apply additional formatting to make it stand
out or read more clearly. Publisher allows you to change the background color of cells, add borders,
resize rows and columns, and add or delete rows or columns.

To Change the Fill Color of a Table Cell

 Click in a table cell to select it, or click and drag to select multiple cells.
 Right-click on the selection and choose Format Table from the context menu. The Format
Table dialog box will appear.

 Select the Colors and Lines tab.

 Choose a color in the Fill section. Select no fill to keep the background blank.
 Click OK.

To Add Borders to Table Cells:

 Select Format Table from the main menu. The Format Table Dialog box appears.
 Select the Colors and Lines tab.
 In the Lines:
o Choose a line color.
o Select a line weight.

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o Click the various line icons to show or hide lines in your table. You can also select one of
the presets.

To Change Row Height and Cell Width:

 Move your mouse over the row or column line that you want to adjust. The double arrow cursor
will appear.
 Click and drag to make the row or column larger or smaller.

To Add or Remove Rows or Columns:

 Select the row or column in your table next to where you want to insert a new one.
 Select Table Insert on the main menu.
 Select an option from the list.
 To delete a row or column, select it and right-click your mouse and choose delete.

Enhancing Text in Your Publication

Publisher allows you to enhance your text manually in many different ways. While doing this, you may
find it helpful to use the boundaries and guides that are displayed by default in Publisher, or you may
wish to hide these as you design your publication. Publisher allows you decide what is best for you by
giving you the ability to turn this feature on and off easily.

Some of the ways you can enhance your text in Publisher include adding a drop cap, wrapping text
around an object, and formatting text vertically. You will find that some text enhancements only look

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good in specific publications. Just because you can do something to your publication doesn’t always
mean that you should. It will be up to you to decide what looks best in your publication.

To Hide or Display Boundaries and Guides:

 Select View from the main menu.

 Select Boundaries and Guides.

The check mark indicates that the boundaries and

guides are displayed. Select View Boundaries
and Guides to toggle this feature on and off.

To Add a Drop Cap:

 Select first letter of your sentence.

 Select Format Drop Cap from the main menu.
The Drop Cap dialog box appears.
 Click one of the available drop cap options.

 Click OK.

Although you probably won't find drop caps in business cards, flyers, or most brochures, there
are certain publications, such as newsletters, where they are used commonly to add a nice
visual impact.

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TO WRAP TEXT:

 Right-click the image.

 Select Format Picture from the menu. The Format Picture dialog box appears.
 Click the Layout tab.
 Select one of the Wrapping Style options.

 Click OK.
 Right-click the text box.
 Select Format Text Box from the menu. The Format Text Box dialog box appears.
 Click the Layout tab.
 Select the same Wrapping Style option you used for the image.
 Click OK.
 Right-click the image.
 Select Order Bring to Front.
 Move the image and text around until they appear as you wish.
 Group the objects together.

Wrapped text is used often in newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and brochures.

To Format Text Vertically:

 Right-click the text box.

 Select Format Text Box from the menu. The Format Text Box dialog box appears.
 Select the Text Box tab.
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 Select Rotate text within AutoShape by 90 degrees.

 Click OK.
 Resize the text box using the sizing handles.
 Move and/or free rotate the text box so that it appears in the correct page location.

USING PUBLICATION DESIGNS AND THE DESIGN GALLERY

Publication Designs allow you to add sets of graphic elements to your publications. The Design Gallery
allows you to select individual elements to add, including: lines, colors, and shapes. Both options can
help draw attention to your publications.

Using Publication Designs

 Click on Publication Designs in the Task pane.

 Scroll through the included designs, click on them to see the effect in your publication.

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Using the Design Gallery:

 Click the Design Gallery icon on the Object toolbar. The Design Gallery dialog box appears.
 Select a Category on the left to see examples on the right.
 Select an object and click Insert to place it in your document.
 Move, rotate, and resize the object to fit your design.

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