create visuals using ms Word

As most of you know, I am a very visual person. But did you know that I actually create a lot of images, buttons, and banners (like the Tech Tuesday logo) with Microsoft Word? By using a combination of the Text Box features and the Image editing features, I can create any number of visuals to make my course documents and my Canvas course more interesting and appealing.

The fundamentals to creating visuals are

• INSERT your picture or text box
• FORMAT your picture or text box
• Set WRAP TEXT for your picture or text box

Once you start getting accustomed to using the basics, you can play around with other formatting features, such as

• GROUPING images and text, so that you can copy and/or move them as a single object
• BRING FORWARD/SEND BACK, so you can overlap images

Want to use your new visual somewhere else? Take a screenshot of it, and you now have an image file!

• Video: How to Take a Screenshot on a PC (March 2019) | CTRL + PrintScreen
• Article: How to Take a Screenshot on a Mac (April 2019) | Command + Shift + 3 (for capturing a selected area, use Command + Shift + 4)
• Personally, I LOVE TechSmith’s SnagIt, which allows you to take a still screenshot OR a video screencast. For Educators, it’s only $29.95 for a SnagIt license!

Want a screenshot of something outside your Word document to include IN your document? Just use Insert >> Screenshot within Word. As soon as you take the screenshot, it will be inserted into your Word doc.