Word Tutorial for Designers

Creating a Letterhead with Styles in Word

Over and over again I have been asked by clients to send them layouts in Word (insert cringe here). I reached out to a couple of my (designer) friends with "how to" questions, with which they replied "tried to figure that out once....almost through my computer against the wall...". After my most recent Word layout request I decided to go ahead and put together a mini tutorial. Even though Word somehow becomes the most complicated program ever after graduating from design school, it doesn't have to be. Hope this helps!

1) After designing your letterhead in Indesign or Illustrator export as a high res png
2) Open Word
3) Create new document - if your design has a bleed make sure to change the size of the         Word Doc as well *if client is printing on their own office printer, remember to explain           that it will print with a white boarder unless they trim 
4) In the nav bar click on the Header and Footer section
5) Click on Header and choose any pre-designed header, erase any placement text 

6) Click Insert > Photo > Picture from File (choose your png file)
7) Format > Picture > Size (word will automatically compress the file by 75%) > change to       100%

8) Layout (in same Format Picture box) > Behind Text

9) Click “Advanced...” 

10) In Advanced Layout make sure the settings are:

        Horizontal: Absolute Position 0, to the right of Page
        Vertical: Absolute Position 0, below Page

11) OK

Styles

1) In your top nav bar you will have a bunch of premade styles already in the bar - 

2)  Right Click on one of the Styles in order to Customize

3) Click “Modify”

4) Here you can rename, change fonts, color, etc

5) If you click on the Format drop down menu you will have the option to change leading         and tracking or “spacing” as word calls it

Take this and cringe a little less at Word. It's not so bad :)