TLC Tips of the Week:                          from Helen Olberg

This week’s tip applies to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Have you used columns in Word?  They are particularly useful when you have a list of items that force an extra page because the list is so long. When you look at the list, you see a lot of white, unused space on the page. Here’s how to make the list into two columns.

1. Go ahead and type the entire list and the entire document. The list can be at the beginning, the end, or the middle of the document.
2. Highlight the list.
3. Click on the menu item Format, Columns…
4. Fill in the dialog window to show the number and sizes of the columns that you want.
5. Be sure that the Apply to indicates ‘Selected text’.
6. Optionally, you may check to place a ‘Line between’ the columns.
7. Click OK.

The question always comes up about how to force the column to end, allowing the rest of the text to go into the next column.

To force a column break, you must first position your cursor at the end of the text you want in that column. Then, hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys as you press the Enter key (or click Insert, Break, Column Break).

BIG HINT:  If you don’t like it, don’t forget that you can Undo your changes!

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