Word Reflects the Latest Sign of the Times

As we step ever nearer to the paperless office, it makes sense to reduce any unnecessary waste of paper and make use of the latest Office Word 2007 tools which help transfer paper systems from desk to digital documents on the desktop.

Obviously there are still occasions when it is essential that we keep track of the life cycle of a document. It might be vital to have a signed record of who has created the original, who has amended the text and who has approved the final version. But how can this happen if we want to avoid printing out numerous copies which may be distributed and then have to be retrieved from the four corners of the earth in order that each signed copy is archived for future generations? The answer could be Digital Signatures.

The ability to capture Digital Signatures by using the Signature Line command in Office 2007 documents makes it possible for organisations to adopt paperless signing processes in situations where keeping track of signing is vital. Digital Signatures can provide a record of exactly what was signed and allow the signature to be verified in the future.

When using Word 2007 and Excel 2007 it is possible to insert a Signature Line into a document. Simply set the cursor at the point in your document you would like to add the signature. Then, on the Insert tab, in the Text group, point to the arrow next to Signature Line and click Microsoft Office Signature Line.

In the Signature Setup dialog box you can type information about the person who will be signing on the Signature Line. This information is displayed directly beneath the Signature Line in the document.

When an electronic copy of the document is sent to the intended signer, this person sees the Signature Line and a notification that their signature is required. The signer can click the Signature Line to digitally sign the document by either typing a signature, selecting a digital image of their signature, or writing a signature. When the signer adds a visible representation of his or her signature to the document, a Digital Signature is added simultaneously to authenticate the identity of the signer. After a document is digitally signed, it will become read-only to prevent modifications to its content.

You can also add information in the Instructions to signer box. The instructions will then be displayed in the Signature dialog box. There is also the option to allow the signer to add comments along with their signature and the flexibility to the show the date when the signature is added. It's easy to add additional Signature Lines, too.

When you sign the Signature Line in a Word 2007 document, you add both a visible representation of your signature and a Digital Signature. If you do not need to insert visible Signature Lines into a document, but you still want to provide assurance as to the authenticity, integrity and origin of a document, you can add an invisible Digital Signature to the document.

It's easy to remove a Digital Signature from a Microsoft Office document that has been digitally signed by clicking on Prepare in the Office Button and selecting View Signatures then Remove Signatures.

Obviously when you receive a document that has been signed by someone you know you are more likely to trust the contents than from someone you don't know.

The Office 2007 Word Digital Signatures feature provides a way to ensure that the contents of your documents have not been changed by any unauthorised author. If the document has been altered, Word 2007 warns you that the signature ID is invalid.

The Digital Signature function also allows office users to create their own Signature Certificate or to acquire a Certificate form a trusted third party.

If you plan to exchange digitally signed documents with other people, and you want the recipients of your documents to be able to verify the authenticity of your Digital Signature, it is a good idea to obtain a Digital Certificate from a reputable third-party Certificate authority. A Digital Certificate is necessary for a Digital Signature because it provides the public key that can be used to validate the private key that is associated with a Digital Signature. Digital Certificates make it possible for Digital Signatures to be used as a way to authenticate digital information.

If you select the option Get a digital ID from a Microsoft partner in the Get a Digital ID dialog box, you are redirected to the Microsoft Office Marketplace, where you can purchase a Digital Certificate from one of the third-party Certificate Authorities (CAs) with an Office Marketplace listing.

So, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, take a step closer to the digital age and find out more about using Digital Signatures in Word 2007.

Microsoft Word Tips - Training

If you have ever used a computer, chances are you have also used Microsoft Word to create documents for work, school or life. Word makes it easy for anyone to quickly create, edit and share professional looking documents. Here are a few tips to help you get exactly what you need or want using Microsoft Word.

Working on Two Separate Document Sections

Have you ever needed to edit a large document, and needed to work simultaneously with sections on different pages? You can do this by splitting the document window:

o From the Window menu, choose Split

o A horizontal line will appear in the middle of the screen. With your mouse, click and drag the line up or down, then click away from the line to set the split. You can switch between the two panes by clicking on the document text in the top or bottom pane. MS Word will remember both cursor positions as you work between the two sections. You can remove the split by going back to the Window menu, and selecting Remove Split

Preventing Page Breaks in Paragraphs

Your document may include a paragraph split onto separate pages. This may not be ideal for you. By default, Word splits large paragraphs onto separate pages. To change this, do the following

o Select a paragraph or group of paragraphs, and right-click

o Select Paragraph from the menu

o When the dialog box appears, select Line and Page Breaks

o Check Keep lines together

o Press OK to close the dialog box

Disable Reading Layout

When you open MS Word documents from e-mail attachments or from other sources, Word displays them in the "Reading Layout". While intended to make the documents easier to read and scan, it can reformat tables of contents, lists, tables, and long paragraphs.

If you would rather not use this feature, and open documents in the default (Print Layout) view instead, try this:

o Click the Tools menu and select Options

o When the dialog box appears, click General

o Uncheck "Allow starting in Reading Layout"

o Click OK to close the dialog box

An Easier Way to Create Tables

If you are like most Word users, when you need to insert a table, you create the table first, then tab through and insert the data. There's a much more efficient way to create tables. First, enter your table data in your document, separated by commas (comma-delimited format). For example, let's say you want a table that shows the number of new employees hired in three departments during the first quarter. Your data would look like this:

,Jan,Feb,March

Sales,2,11,9

Marketing,3,9,14

Accounting,2,9,4

Now, highlight the text and choose "Table then Insert Table" A 4x4 table is automatically created for you. If you want to change the formatting, go to Table, then Table Autoformat to apply a table template; or you can go through the Table menu and manually edit the table's display properties.

Full-Screen Mode

When you edit a document in Microsoft Word, your workspace is shared with toolbars, a menu bar, a status bar, and your system toolbar/taskbar. If you'd like to hide everything but your document, click View and select Full Screen. To return to normal view, press the ESC key, or select Close Full Screen from the Full Screen toolbar that appears. You can also move your mouse pointer to the top of the screen to access the menu items.