Preparing a Document in a Word Processor

A word processor is a program for typing, editing and preparing text for printing. The best known are Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer and Google Docs. A file created in such a program is called a document, and it is saved in the program’s own format (for example, .docx or .odt).

You first type the text and then format it: select a fragment and choose the font and size, or make it bold, italic or underlined. For a paragraph you set the alignment (left, center, right or justified), the line spacing and the indent of the first line. Headings are usually set in a larger, bold font.

There are other handy tools too. The spell checker underlines a misspelled word in red, and “Find and Replace” changes a word throughout the whole text in a moment. Save your work often (Ctrl + S), otherwise a power cut may wipe out what you typed. Before printing, it helps to open the print preview and check how the page will look.

Key takeaways

• A word processor is used to type, edit and prepare text for printing.
• Formatting means setting the font, paragraphs and the look of the page.
• The spell checker and “Find and Replace” speed up your work.
• Save the document often (Ctrl + S).