Word Processors

Get Microsoft Word and more!

CSUSM's IITS offers FREE access to Microsoft Office, which includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Teams! 

Download Microsoft Office 

Get to Know Your Word Processor

• Justifying a Paragraph - Left, Center, Right
  1. Click the text you would like to justify
  2. Click the right, center, or left justification button (indicated by 4 lines representative of paragraph position)

   

  

   

• Viewing the Ruler

  Viewing the ruler on GoogleDocs:

  1. Select "View"
  2. Select "Show ruler"

   

  

   

  Viewing the ruler on Microsoft Word:

  1. Select "View"
  2. Check "Ruler"

   

  

• Making a Hanging Indent

  Making a Hanging Indent on Google Docs:

  1. Highlight the text
  2. Select the downward pointing triangle on the ruler. (If the ruler is missing, reference above on Viewing the Ruler guide).
  3. Move the triangle .5 inches to the right
  4. Select the bar over the triangle
  5. Move it back to the margin

   

  

   

  Making a Hanging Indent on Microsoft Word:

  1. Select the text
  2. Click the upward pointing triangle on the ruler. (If the ruler is missing, reference above on Viewing the Ruler).
  3. Move the triangle .5 inches to the right 

   

  

• Changing "Before" and "After" Paragraph Spacing
  1. Select the text
  2. Right click
  3. Select paragraph
  4. Set "before" and "after" spacing to "0 pt"

   

  

• Inserting a Page Break

  Inserting a Page Break on Google Docs:

  1. Select where to make the page break
  2. Select "Insert"
  3. Select "Break"
  4. Select "Page break"

   

  

   

  Inserting a Page Break on Microsoft Word:

  1. Select where to make the page break
  2. Select "Insert"
  3. Select "Page Break"

   

  

• Making a Header with a Different First Page

  Making a Header with a Different Page on Microsoft Word

  Part 1

  1. Double click the top of the page
  2. Select "Different First Page"
  3. Select "Page Number"
  4. Select "Top of Page"
  5. Select "Plain Number 3"
  6. continue to Part 2

   

  

   

  Part 2

  1. Write a title before the page number
  2. Click between the title and the page number
  3. Separate the title and page number by pressing the TAB key
  4. Scroll to the second page

   

  

   

  Part 3

  1. Double click the top of the page
  2. Select "Page Number"
  3. Select "Top of Page"
  4. Select "Plain Number 3"
  5. Write a unique title
  6. Separate the title and page number with the TAB key

   

  

   Making a Header with a Different Page on Google Docs

  Part 1

  1. Click the top of the page
  2. Select "Different first page"
  3. Select "Insert"
  4. Select "Header & page number"
  5. Select "Page number"
  6. Select the first option that displays a number in the upper righthand corner of each page
  7. Click before the page number

   

  

   

  Part 2

  1. Write the first page's title
  2. Click the ruler
  3. Select "Add Right Tab-stop"
  4. Move the new tab-stop to the rightmost margin
  5. Separate the title and page number by pressing the TAB key on the keyboard.
  6. Scroll to the page 2's header

   

  

   

  Part 3

  1. Select the header on page 2
  2. Click before the page number
  3. Add a unique title
  4. Click the left justification button
  5. Click the ruler
  6. Select "Add right tab-stop"
  7. Move the new tab-stop to the rightmost margin
  8. Separate the title and page number by pressing the TAB key

   

  

Proofread Your Work

Microsoft Word includes the Word Editor tool. This works similar to Grammarly and can help you with grammar, word choice, and more before you submit your paper.

• How to use the Word Editor (PDF)

Change File Types

 Some programs or devices are not able to open certain file types, and some instructors have preferences for which types of files you submit to them. If you are the owner of the document and need to change the file type, you can usually do this in the program where you created or edited the document.

• How to change Pages files to Word doc, PDF, or other files
• How to change Microsoft documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc) to PDF
• How to change a PDF to a Word document

In cases where you are unable to open a trusted file because of its type, you can also use a file converter such as cloudconvert to change the file to a supported format.

Practice Your Typing

Keybr.com Touch Typing

How-to-Type.com Typing Practice