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Intro

In lesson 4 of my Microsoft Word 2007 Beginner series, you will learn how to work with illustrations in your documents, including pictures, clip art, shapes, text boxes, smart art, charts, and WordArt. I will show you step by step how to insert, move, resize, and rotate these objects, as well as how to adjust text wrapping, brightness, contrast, borders, fill colors, and different effects like shadows and 3D styles. You will also learn how to integrate these objects into your documents and pick up some tips for using charting with Microsoft Excel 2007.

Transcript

Welcome to Word 2007 Basic Level 4, brought to you by WordLearningZone.com. I am your instructor Richard Rost. Today's class is all about illustrations. We are going to learn about pictures, clip art, shapes, text boxes, smart art, charts, and word art.

A lot of these topics have similar features. For example, we are going to learn how to insert, move, resize, and rotate all these different objects. We are going to learn about text wrapping to get the text to wrap around the object. We will learn about brightness, contrast, and how to recolor an object. We will learn about different effects, like shadows and 3D effects. We will learn how to change the borders and fill of these different objects. We will also learn how to integrate all these different objects into your documents.

This lesson uses Microsoft Office Word 2007. If you are using Word 2003 or earlier, then you should visit my website and look for my Word tutorials that cover these older versions. The lesson on charting is going to require Excel 2007. If you do not have Excel 2007, that is fine. The majority of the topics in this lesson do not require Excel. However, the lesson on charting will use Excel 2007.

Before taking this course, it is strongly recommended that you take Word 2007 Basic 3 and, of course, Basic 1 and 2 before that. In Basic 3, we will learn about page setup, paragraph layout, insert pages, hyperlinks, headers and footers, page numbering, and tables. If you do not know how to do any of the things I just mentioned, you should really consider taking Basic 3 before this course.

This is the Basic Level 4 course for Microsoft Word 2007. This class is for the novice user who has little or no experience with Microsoft Word, beyond my level 1, 2, and 3 classes. My Basic courses are designed for novice users who are new to Microsoft Word and just need to learn basic functionality. You will learn one good method for accomplishing most tasks and will save all of the extraneous details for later.

My Expert series is for users who are comfortable with Word and want to learn more about the standard features and functions that most people use. We will cover a lot of the options, alternatives, shortcuts, tips and tricks, and really cover all the features of Word exhaustively. The Advanced series is designed to teach you all the lesser-known features of Word, such as recording macros and creating data forms. These are features that not everyone uses on a daily basis but can really add power to your documents.

Finally, the Developer series is designed to teach you how to program in Visual Basic for Applications with Microsoft Word to develop Word-based programs for your users and integrate Word with other Office applications and much more. Each of these series is broken down into different levels.

For example, the Basic series started with level 1, then followed by levels 2, 3, and 4, which is this class. Next is level 5 and so on. Each level teaches you new and different topics in Microsoft Word, building on lessons learned in the previous levels.

Now, let's take a more detailed look at what we are going to learn in today's class.

In lesson 1, we are going to learn about inserting pictures. We will learn about the sample pictures folder, inserting a picture into our document, resizing and deleting a picture, moving the picture, text wrapping to get the text to wrap around the picture, positioning the picture on the page, and rotating the picture.

In lesson 2, we are going to continue working with pictures. I am going to teach you how to get a picture from pretty much any website and save that picture to your desktop. Then you can insert that picture into your Word documents.

In lesson 3, we are going to learn about brightness and contrast with our pictures, the picture styles gallery, and how to change the picture shape, border, and effects.

In lesson 4, we are going to learn about clip art. I am going to show you how to insert clip art. We are going to find clip art by searching by keyword or browsing by category. We will learn about the Microsoft Clip Organizer, and I will show you how to recolor clip art once you get it into your document.

In lesson 5, we are going to learn about shapes and text boxes. We are going to start with inserting shapes like a rectangle, the Drawing Tools ribbon bar, the shape styles gallery, shadow effects, 3D effects, then I will show you how to add text to any shape and create text boxes.

In lesson 6, we are going to learn about smart art. I will show you how to insert smart art. We will look at one specifically called a basic chevron process. I will show you the different smart art layouts and styles, how to add other items, shape styles, and deleting smart art, which can be tricky.

In lesson 7, we are going to look at charts. I am going to show you how to insert a chart into your Word document, change the chart type, enter data for the chart using Microsoft Excel. We will look at the chart style gallery, and I will show you how to move and resize your charts.

In lesson 8, we are going to learn about WordArt. WordArt is taking a word and turning it into a piece of art. I will show you how to insert WordArt into your document. We will look at the WordArt gallery, the spacing of the letters in the WordArt, changing the WordArt styles, the border, and the shape of the WordArt.

If you need help with Microsoft Word, you can post your questions in our student forums. If you are watching this course using our video player software, or an online theater, then you should see the student forum pop up next to each video. Here you will see all the comments and questions posted about each lesson, in addition to my own responses to them. Feel free to join in the discussion and post your own thoughts.

To get the most out of this course, I recommend you sit back, relax, and watch each lesson through once without touching your computer. Then, watch the lesson a second time, following along with my examples. Take the time to actually create the same document that I do. You will get the most out of these lessons if you follow along with me.

If you do not understand something, feel free to watch the lesson again or rewind to any point in the video. Most importantly, keep an open mind. New things can often be confusing. If there is something you do not understand at first, that is fine. Just be patient. It will come to you eventually. Try your best, and if you still have questions, post them in the student forum.

Quiz

Q1. What is the primary focus of Word 2007 Basic Level 4?
A. Working with illustrations in Word documents
B. Learning advanced programming macros in Word
C. Exploring only grammar tools in Word
D. Writing complex reports using templates

Q2. Which of the following is NOT one of the main types of illustrations covered in this course?
A. Shapes
B. WordArt
C. Templates
D. SmartArt

Q3. What feature allows you to surround an object with text in Word?
A. Text wrapping
B. Mail merge
C. Spell check
D. AutoCorrect

Q4. If you want to change the brightness or contrast of a picture in your document, which lesson should you refer to?
A. Lesson 1
B. Lesson 2
C. Lesson 3
D. Lesson 4

Q5. Which application is required for the charting lesson in this course?
A. Microsoft Publisher 2007
B. Microsoft Access 2007
C. Microsoft Excel 2007
D. Microsoft Outlook 2007

Q6. What is recommended before taking Word 2007 Basic Level 4?
A. Completing all Advanced and Expert courses first
B. Having knowledge of VBA programming
C. Completing Basic 1, 2, and 3 courses
D. Knowing how to use Excel pivot tables

Q7. What is the main difference between the Basic and Expert series according to the instructor?
A. Basic teaches extensive shortcuts while Expert covers only the basics
B. Expert covers advanced programming, Basic does not
C. Basic focuses on one good method for each task, while Expert explores options, alternatives, and more features
D. There is no difference; they teach the same material

Q8. In which lesson will you learn about finding and inserting clip art using keywords and categories?
A. Lesson 2
B. Lesson 4
C. Lesson 6
D. Lesson 8

Q9. What should you do if you do not understand something while watching the lessons?
A. Skip to the next video
B. Close the program and try again later
C. Re-watch the lesson, rewind if necessary, and ask questions in the student forum
D. Only read the textbook

Q10. What is WordArt used for in Microsoft Word?
A. Making tables for data
B. Turning words into decorative text or art
C. Applying paragraph formatting
D. Checking spelling and grammar

Q11. What is the instructor's recommended way to get the most out of the course?
A. Read the course handouts only
B. Watch lessons without doing anything else
C. Watch each lesson once, then watch a second time following along with the examples
D. Only complete the quizzes

Q12. Which lesson will cover inserting, resizing, and positioning pictures?
A. Lesson 1
B. Lesson 3
C. Lesson 5
D. Lesson 7

Answers: 1-A; 2-C; 3-A; 4-C; 5-C; 6-C; 7-C; 8-B; 9-C; 10-B; 11-C; 12-A

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Word Learning Zone covers Basic Level 4 for Microsoft Word 2007, focusing on illustrations. In this lesson, I will guide you through the many ways to add visual interest to your Word documents, including working with pictures, clip art, shapes, text boxes, smart art, charts, and WordArt.

Across these topics, you will notice many shared tools and techniques. We will explore how to insert these objects into your documents, as well as how to move, resize, and rotate them. I will cover how to wrap text around objects to ensure your document looks professional and organized. We will also look at adjusting visual properties like brightness and contrast, changing colors, and applying special effects such as shadows and three-dimensional formatting. Modifying borders and fills is another important skill, and I will demonstrate how to use these features to create visually appealing documents that effectively integrate a variety of objects.

This course is intended for those using Microsoft Office Word 2007. Anyone still using Word 2003 or earlier should check my website for tutorials tailored to those versions. You do not need Excel for most of this course, but the section on charting will use Excel 2007. If you do not have access to Excel, you can still benefit from most of the lessons in this class.

If you are new to my courses, I suggest you complete Word 2007 Basic 1, 2, and 3 before starting this one. In Basic Level 3, I cover important topics such as page setup, paragraph layout, inserting pages, hyperlinks, headers, footers, page numbers, and tables. If you are not familiar with these tasks, I recommend reviewing Level 3 before proceeding to Level 4.

This Basic Level 4 course is designed for novice users who have worked through the earlier levels and need to learn the essential features of Microsoft Word. My Basic series introduces straightforward and practical methods for everyday tasks, avoiding complex details until later stages.

For those interested in more advanced training, my Expert series is intended for users who are comfortable with Word and want to master its standard features, including options, alternatives, tips, and shortcuts. The Advanced series goes even further, covering less common features like recording macros and creating data forms that allow you to enhance your documents. The Developer series then teaches programming in Visual Basic for Applications in Word, enabling you to build Word-based applications and integrate Word with other Microsoft Office software.

Each series is organized into levels. This Basic series started with Level 1 and continues sequentially. Each new level expands on what you have previously learned and introduces new topics and skills in Microsoft Word.

Let me outline what you can expect from each lesson in this course:

In lesson 1, I will show you how to insert pictures, locate sample images, and manage images by resizing, deleting, moving, and rotating them. You will also learn how to apply text wrapping for better integration with your document layout.

Lesson 2 focuses on bringing images from external sources into your documents. I will show you how to save pictures from websites to your desktop and then add them to your Word documents.

Lesson 3 centers around modifying pictures, teaching you how to adjust brightness and contrast, use the picture styles gallery, and change the shape, border, and effects of an image.

In lesson 4, we will work with clip art. I will show you several methods for finding and inserting clip art by searching with keywords or browsing categories. We will review the Microsoft Clip Organizer and discuss recoloring clip art for a custom look.

Lesson 5 introduces shapes and text boxes. You will learn how to insert basic shapes, use the Drawing Tools ribbon bar and shape styles gallery, add effects like shadows and three-dimensional formatting, and create text boxes or add text to any shape.

In lesson 6, we will look at smart art. I will guide you through inserting smart art, focusing especially on the basic chevron process. We will examine the various layouts and styles, add or delete items as needed, and address special considerations for removing smart art from your documents.

Lesson 7 is about charts. I will demonstrate how to add charts to your Word documents, change the chart type, add and edit chart data using Excel, and use the chart style gallery. You will also learn how to move and resize your charts.

Finally, in lesson 8, we turn our attention to WordArt. I will teach you how to insert WordArt, explore the gallery of styles, adjust letter spacing, and modify the appearance of WordArt including the border and shape, helping transform simple text into decorative elements.

If you have questions about Microsoft Word, you are welcome to post them in our student forums. It is a useful place for asking questions, sharing your thoughts, and reading other students' comments together with my responses.

To get the most value from this course, my recommendation is to first watch each lesson from start to finish without trying to follow along. For your second viewing, have your computer ready and recreate the steps with me, building your skills by working through the examples. This active participation is the best way to learn the concepts thoroughly.

Should you find a concept confusing, do not hesitate to rewatch the lesson or rewind to difficult sections. Learning something new can be challenging, so keep an open mind and be patient with yourself. If you still have questions after reviewing the material, please make use of the student forum.

You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Inserting pictures from the sample pictures folder
Resizing and deleting pictures in a document
Moving and positioning pictures on the page
Applying text wrapping around pictures
Rotating pictures in Word 2007
Saving web images and inserting them into Word
Adjusting brightness and contrast for pictures
Using the picture styles gallery
Changing picture shape, border, and effects
Inserting clip art into documents
Searching and browsing for clip art by keyword or category
Using the Microsoft Clip Organizer
Recoloring clip art in Word 2007
Inserting basic shapes using the Drawing Tools ribbon
Using the shape styles gallery
Applying shadow and 3D effects to shapes
Adding text to shapes and creating text boxes
Inserting smart art objects
Choosing and customizing smart art layouts and styles
Adding and deleting items in smart art
Inserting and formatting charts in Word using Excel
Changing chart types and entering data
Using the chart style gallery
Moving and resizing charts in documents
Inserting WordArt into documents
Using the WordArt gallery and changing styles
Adjusting letter spacing and WordArt shapes
Changing the border and shape of WordArt