20 Best Microsoft Word Add Ins for | GoSkills

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Is it time to update to a new version of Microsoft Word? In this article, we compare different versions of MS Word to help you make an informed decision. Get answers to all of your Microsoft Word questions. Find Word help, how-to articles, training videos, tutorials, and more. Try 1 month free. Get support for Microsoft Office or determine if it is time to upgrade to Microsoft with the latest information about Office products.
 
 

 

Microsoft Word Basic — Free Reference Card

 

With a subscription, you get the latest versions of the apps and automatically receive updates when they happen. Office is a one-time purchase that comes with classic apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for PC or Mac, and does not include any of the services that come with a Microsoft subscription.

Learn more about the differences between Microsoft and Office in Office Support, or use the comparison chart to help you pick the right Office version for your needs. First, check if you are eligible for Office Education , which is free for qualified teachers and students, and includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Microsoft Teams, and other classroom tools from Microsoft. Office Education is not a trial, and is available for free to accredited academic institutions who have successfully signed up for this program.

If your school is not eligible for Office Education, you can choose from other Office options to find the Office version that fits your budget and needs. Go to Office Support for more steps to download, install, reinstall, activate, or update Office. Learn more.

Install most apps and software, like Microsoft , Windows, and Xbox games, via digital download. Improve your skills across core apps and software with free online classes and trainings led by Microsoft Store associates. Internet access is required to install and activate all the latest releases of Office suites and all Microsoft subscription plans. For Microsoft plans, Internet access is also needed to manage your subscription account, for example to install Office on other PCs or to change billing options.

You should also connect to the Internet regularly to keep your version of Office up to date and benefit from automatic upgrades. If you do not connect to the Internet at least every 31 days, your applications will go into reduced functionality mode, which means that you can view or print your documents, but cannot edit the documents or create new ones. To reactivate your Office applications, simply reconnect to the Internet. You do not need to be connected to the Internet to use the Office applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, because the applications are fully installed on your computer.

A Product Key is a unique character alpha-numeric code used to redeem and activate your Office product. You cannot use a product key for an older Office product or a different product to redeem your new copy of Office.

To find your Product Key, look for the character alpha-numeric code on the back of the card inside your Office product packaging. Sometimes the Product Key may be printed on your retail receipt. Get information on locating your product key. Office is available in the languages listed below.

Microsoft offers simple and cost-effective solutions for multilingual individuals, families, and small businesses. Sign in with the Microsoft account that you used to purchase, or have already associated, with the subscription or one-time purchase product, and then follow the onscreen instructions to install Office.

Learn more about where to enter your Office product key. To download and install older versions of Office, visit www.

The actual download speed of Office depends on the speed of your Internet connection; a broadband Internet connection is recommended for the best download experience.

All versions of the new Office for Windows PCs use a streaming technology that lets you begin to use Office applications before installation is complete.

Icons for Office applications are created when you install Office. You can start the applications by clicking the icons, which are installed in the following locations:. Even if your computer is running a bit version of Windows, we recommend that you install the bit version of Office, because it is more compatible with the applications and add-ins that work with Office.

If you do want to install the bit version of Office, you can do so by visiting accounts. It is not possible to install both the bit version and bit versions of Office on the same computer. Sign me up. Thank you! Stay informed about special deals, the latest products, events, and more from Microsoft Store. Email address required. I would like information, tips, and offers about Microsoft Store and other Microsoft products and services.

Click here to read the Privacy Statement. Talk to an expert. Need help? No Thanks. Microsoft Corporation. Use the pre-designed Office Themes to make sure that your slide design is accessible. For instructions, go to Use an accessible presentation template or Use built-in slide designs for inclusive reading order, colors, and more. Use the Accessibility Checker to analyze the presentation and find insufficient color contrast.

It finds insufficient color contrast in text with or without highlights or hyperlinks in shapes, tables, or SmartArt with solid opaque colors.

It does not find insufficient color contrast in other cases such as text in a transparent text box or placeholder on top of the slide background, or color contrast issues in non-textual content. PowerPoint supports the playback of video with multiple audio tracks. It also supports closed captions and subtitles that are embedded in video files. Currently, only PowerPoint for Windows supports insertion and playback of closed captions or subtitles that are stored in files separate from the video.

For all other editions of PowerPoint such as PowerPoint for macOS or the mobile editions , closed captions or subtitles must be encoded into the video before they are inserted into PowerPoint.

Supported video formats for captions and subtitles vary depending on the operating system that you’re using. Each operating system has settings to adjust how the closed captions or subtitles are displayed. For more information, see Closed Caption file types supported by PowerPoint.

Closed captions, subtitles, and alternative audio tracks are not preserved when you use the Compress Media or Optimize Media Compatibility features. Also, when turning your presentation into a video , closed captions, subtitles, or alternative audio tracks in the embedded videos are not included in the video that is saved.

When you use the Save Media as command on a selected video, closed captions, subtitles, and multiple audio tracks embedded in the video are preserved in the video file that is saved. Videos include an audio track with video descriptions, if needed, for users who are blind or have low vision.

Videos that include dialogue also include closed captions, in-band closed captions, open captions, or subtitles in a supported format for users that are deaf or hard-of-hearing. For more information, refer to Add closed captions or subtitles to media in PowerPoint.

You can save your presentation in a format that can be easily read by a screen reader or be ported to a Braille reader. Before converting a presentation into another format, make sure you run the Accessibility Checker and fix all reported issues. When your presentation is ready and you’ve run the Accessibility Checker to make sure it is inclusive, you can try navigating the slides using a screen reader, for example, Narrator.

Narrator comes with Windows, so there’s no need to install anything. This is one additional way to spot issues in the navigation order, for example. Press the Tab key to navigate the elements within the slide and fix the navigation order if needed.

To move the focus away from the slide content, press Esc or F6. Rules for the Accessibility Checker. Everything you need to know to write effective alt text.

Use the Accessibility Reminder to notify authors of accessibility issues. Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities. Make your Excel documents accessible to people with disabilities.

Make your Outlook email accessible to people with disabilities. Closed Caption file types supported by PowerPoint. If you must use an image with text in it, repeat that text in the presentation. In the alternative text, briefly describe the image and mention the existence of the text and its intent.

Add alt text to visuals in Microsoft Add alt text to visuals in Office When someone who can see reads a slide, they usually read things, such as text or a picture, in the order the elements appear on the slide. In contrast, a screen reader reads the elements of a slide in the order they were added to the slide, which might be very different from the order in which things appear.

To make sure everyone reads the contents in the order you intend, it’s important to check the reading order. PowerPoint contains built-in slide layouts that you can apply to any slide. When you use them with a new slide, these layouts automatically make sure that the reading order works for everyone.

Use built-in slide designs for inclusive reading order. To determine whether hyperlink text makes sense as standalone information and whether it gives readers accurate information about the destination target, visually scan the slides in your presentation. For example, instead of linking to the text Click here , include the full title of the destination page.

You can even use the URL of the page if it’s short and descriptive, for example, www. Add hyperlink text and ScreenTips. Visually scan the slides in your presentation. Use an accessible slide design. Use strong contrast between text and background, so people with low vision can see and use the content. Use dark text on a white or off-white background, or reverse it and use white text on a dark background. White and black schemes also make it easier for people who are colorblind to distinguish text and shapes.

Use unique slide titles. They often see text merge or distort. For people who have dyslexia or have low vision, reduce the reading load. For example, they might benefit from familiar sans serif fonts, such as Arial or Calibri. Include ample white space between sentences and paragraphs. Format text for accessibility. Video description makes video more accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The following procedures describe how to add alt text to visuals in your PowerPoint presentations in Microsoft Add alt text to images.

Add alt text to shapes. Add alt text to SmartArt graphics. Add alt text to charts. Make visuals decorative. For audio and video content, in addition to alt text, include closed captioning for people who are deaf or have limited hearing. To enable right-click on your Mac, make sure that the Secondary click option is selected in System Preferences. PowerPoint does not automatically generate alt texts for images.

If you want to add an image that is an icon, screenshot, or other image that is not a photograph, you need to add the alt texts manually. Tip: To spell check and correct a word you typed, just right-click the word and select from the suggested alternatives. Tip: You have to right-click somewhere inside the frame that surrounds the entire shape, not inside one of its parts.

Tip: You have to right-click somewhere inside the frame that surrounds the entire SmartArt graphic, not inside one of its parts. Select a SmartArt graphic. Type sentences to describe the SmartArt graphic and its context to someone who cannot see it. Tip: You have to right-click somewhere inside the frame that surrounds the entire chart, not inside one of its parts.

Select Edit Alt Text The Alt Text pane opens on the right side of the slide. If your presentation has visuals that are purely decorative, you can mark them as such without needing to write any alt text. When a screen reader finds such an image, it simply announces they are decorative, so the user knows they are not missing any information. Select a visual. Select the Mark as decorative check box.

The text entry field becomes grayed out. The following procedures describe how to add alt text to visuals in your PowerPoint presentations in Office To make your presentations accessible to wider audiences, add alt texts to the images in your slides. PowerPoint does not automatically generate alt texts. Tip: You can also select Generate a description for me to have Microsoft’s cloud-powered intelligent services create a description for you. This takes a moment, after which you see the result in the text entry field.

Remember to delete any comments PowerPoint added there, for example, “Description generated with high confidence. Tip: Include the most important information in the first line, and be as concise as possible. Use the following procedure to add alt text to shapes, including shapes within a SmartArt graphic. The following procedures describe how to make the hyperlinks, text, and tables in your PowerPoint presentations accessible. Select Hyperlink. The text you selected displays in the Text to Display box.

This is the hyperlink text. For example, this hyperlink text matches the title on the destination page: Templates and Themes for Office Online. Use one of the included accessible templates to make sure that your slide design, colors, contrast, and fonts are accessible for all audiences.

In the Search all templates text field, type accessible templates and press Return. On the Table Design tab, select the Header Row check box. See Title a slide for related information. To restore all placeholders for the selected slide, on the Home tab, select Reset.

Point the mouse at the border of the Title placeholder box so that the pointer becomes a four-headed move pointer. Use the Selection Pane to set the order in which the screen readers read the slide contents.

When the screen reader reads this slide, it reads the objects in the reverse of the order they are listed in the Selection Pane. In the Selection Pane , to change the reading order, drag and drop items to the new location. PowerPoint has built-in slide designs that contain placeholders for text, videos, pictures, and more.

To make sure that your slides are accessible, the built-in layouts are designed so that the reading order is the same for people who see and people who use technology such as screen readers. In the thumbnail pane, locate the place where you want to add the new slide, and then right-click. On the Design tab, expand the themes gallery, and select the slide layout that you want. PowerPoint automatically applies this layout to the new slide.

Closed captions or subtitles must be encoded into the video before it is inserted into PowerPoint. PowerPoint does not support closed captions or subtitles that are stored in a separate file from the video file.

Videos include an audio track with video descriptions, if needed, for users that are blind or visually impaired. Videos that include dialogue also include closed captions, in-band closed captions, open captions, or subtitles in a supported format for users that are deaf or hard of hearing. In the alt text, briefly describe the image and mention the existence of the text and its intent.

Add alt text to images, tables, and shapes. The text in your presentations should be readable in High Contrast mode so that everyone, including people with visual disabilities, can see it well. Avoid using all capital letters, and excessive italics or underlines.

To open the related tab, for example, the Picture tab, tap the Show Ribbon button. Tap Alt Text and type a description for the element. For example, describe the content of the image. If your visuals are purely decorative and add visual interest but aren’t informative, you can mark them as such without needing to write any alt text. Examples of objects that should be marked as decorative are stylistic borders. To open the related tab, for example, the Picture tab, select the Show Ribbon button.

Select the Mark as decorative toggle button, and then select Done. Use one of the included slide Themes to make sure that your slide design is accessible. Most of the themes are designed for accessible colors, contrast, and fonts. To open the Home tab, tap the Show Ribbon button. To open the Table tab, tap the Show Ribbon button.

In alt text, briefly describe the image and mention the existence of the text and its intent. Add alt text to tables. The following procedures describe how to add alt text to visuals and tables in your PowerPoint presentations. To open the Picture tab, tap the Show Commands button. Flawless integration with other Microsoft applications also makes Microsoft Word rise above different word processors.

The compatibility between apps in the Office family is unparalleled and perfect for home users or businesses of any size. For example, you can use Excel to import graphs and data, extract your text from a PowerPoint slide and much more.

Is it really worth it? However, purchasing the real product has its definite benefits. With great features within your reach, there is no reason to wait to get your hands on the product that so many people trust. You also have the ability to import and export data from or into other Microsoft Office products.

Imagine this situation: you need to explain complex data to your readers. Instead of writing a lengthy and messy paragraph, you can import a data chart from Excel, Visio, or Access to Word and make your document easier to process. Students, teachers, writers, business people, and just about anybody else can take advantage of the capabilities Word provides.

Once you got the basics down, the rest is a piece of cake. One of the most significant advantages of using the newest Word release is the real-time editing and co-authoring feature, perfect for a team working on a project, or students collaborating on research.

Users can suggest or make edits depending on their permissions, add ideas, or delete unnecessary material alongside you, all on the same document. Word also includes many accessibility features to make your life easier when you need it. With the Accessibility Checker , you can implement changes into your documents to make them easier to read and understand for everyone around the world.

Suggestions can be reviewed and implemented in your document with one simple click. Besides being accessible, Word also runs well no matter what your computer specs are. Even on a low-end device, you can easily fire up the application and begin working on your projects with ease.

The optimized features work to create an experience enjoyable for everyone, as opposed to the slow and often frustrating pace of older Word applications. Its capabilities have only gotten bigger and better over the years. However, Word gives users new, exciting features beyond just word processor capabilities.

This update also focuses on making your work easier to share and gives you the option to work together with other team members, adds more support for digital inking, provides learning tools, and book-like navigation. Have you ever wanted to work on a document together with your classmates, colleagues, or friends? You can do it in real-time using Word After you share your document with others, you can invite them to co-edit the same document with you.

All changes made to a file are trackable and reversible, eliminating the need to worry about someone accidentally messing up the file. You can track and review changes made to a file then accept or reject them manually with the Simple Markup feature. The clean, easily understandable view of how different authors contributed to your file allows for quick reviewing as well.

Reply to questions, start debates or help your teammates with parts of the document simply by replying to comments. Done with the conversation? You can disable further replies while leaving the existing ones accessible for others to see.

Being able to store your files in the cloud and access them anywhere is a huge advantage compared to storing data on physical hardware. With Word , you can save and share files in cloud storage, then access them anywhere, anytime, as long as you have an internet connection. This feature also gives you the ability to share your documents using SharePoint or SkyDrive.