Word 2013 Tabs, Tables & Graphics Guide

Table of Contents:

Preparing Your Interface
Document Sections and Section Breaks
Page Layout Settings
Headers and Footers Management
Working with Tabs and Tab Stops
Inserting and Formatting Tables
Managing Table Text and Styles
Using Objects: Text Boxes, Graphics, and Shapes
Inserting and Editing Images
Reusable Content and Building Blocks

Introduction to Microsoft Word 2013: Tabs, Tables, and Graphics

This PDF is a detailed training resource designed to help users master essential features in Microsoft Word 2013, focusing on tabs, tables, and graphics. It offers practical exercises and step-by-step instructions tailored for both staff and students looking to enhance their document formatting and layout skills. Readers will gain a solid understanding of how to use section breaks and margins effectively, customize headers and footers, insert and modify tables with precision, and manage graphic objects like images and shapes. Additionally, the guide covers reusable content through Building Blocks and Quick Parts, enabling users to save time and maintain consistency in their documents. Whether you’re a beginner aiming to build foundational skills or an intermediate user preparing professional documents, this resource equips you with the tools and techniques necessary to create polished and well-structured Word documents.

Topics Covered in Detail

Preparing your Word interface and displaying formatting symbols for clarity.
Inserting and managing document sections and section breaks to control page layout.
Adjusting page margins and orientation within sections for professional formatting.
Adding and customizing headers and footers, including section-specific content and unlinking from previous sections.
Creating and adjusting tab stops, including adding tab leaders and updating tab styles.
Inserting tables and drawing custom tables, converting text to tables, and adjusting table properties.
Formatting tables using table styles, auto-fitting content and window adjustments.
Managing text within tables, including paragraph and cell formatting.
Working with objects such as text boxes, images, and shapes to enhance document visuals.
Using reusable content features, including saving and inserting Building Blocks and Quick Parts.

Key Concepts Explained

1. Document Sections and Breaks A foundational skill in Word 2013 is mastering document sections. Sections allow users to apply different page layouts, orientations, or headers and footers within a single document. For example, you might have one section in portrait and another in landscape orientation, or customize header content per chapter. Section breaks are essential for separating these areas efficiently, providing precise control over layout and design.

2. Tabs and Tab Stops Tabs are used to align text horizontally at specified locations. This guide explains how to insert, move, and remove tab stops, as well as how to add tab leaders—visual guide lines between tabbed sections often seen in tables of contents. Understanding how to modify tabs within paragraph styles streamlines formatting and maintains consistency throughout a document.

3. Tables: Insertion and Formatting Tables organize information in rows and columns, key for displaying data clearly. The PDF covers creating tables by inserting predefined grids or drawing custom tables. It also highlights converting text into tables and how to adjust column widths and row heights using AutoFit features to automatically match content or window size. Applying table styles and modifying borders and shading enhances readability and presentation.

4. Working with Images and Shapes Adding visual elements such as images, text boxes, and shapes increases a document’s impact. The guide walks through inserting and editing images, resizing and cropping, adjusting image layout options, and layering objects for advanced design effects. Shapes can be drawn and customized with fills, outlines, and effects to support the document’s messaging.

5. Reusable Content: Building Blocks and Quick Parts Building Blocks are pre-designed content snippets or elements that users can save and insert repeatedly. This includes cover pages, headers, footers, and formatted text objects, which save time and maintain style consistency across documents. The PDF shows how to insert existing Building Blocks and create new custom Quick Parts for efficient document creation.

Practical Applications and Use Cases

Understanding and applying the skills taught in this guide is beneficial in many real-world scenarios. In academic and professional settings, applying section breaks and distinct headers allows for multi-part reports with different layouts and chapter headings. For example, a research thesis might require varied margin sizes or orientation changes for tables and figures.

Tabs are crucial for creating clean, aligned lists such as contact information or pricing tables without manually spacing each item. Leaders in tabs enhance the readability of contents pages, making it easy to navigate long documents.

Tables are indispensable in business reports, project plans, or schedules where clear data presentation is necessary. Automatic adjustments ensure the tables fit within margins, providing tidy, professional layouts.

Images and shapes enhance marketing materials, newsletters, or educational content by adding visual context. Text boxes can be used for callouts or side notes without disrupting main text flow.

Finally, reusable content simplifies the preparation of recurring documents like company reports or letterheads by maintaining uniform branding and formatting, saving time and reducing errors.

Glossary of Key Terms

Section Break: A divider in Word documents that separates sections with independent formatting.
Tab Stop: A predefined stopping point along the horizontal ruler where the cursor moves when Tab is pressed.
AutoFit: A feature that adjusts a table’s column width or row height to fit content or window dimensions automatically.
Building Block: A saved piece of content (text, graphics, tables) that can be reused throughout documents.
Quick Parts: A component of Building Blocks allowing insertion of reusable content.
Header/Footer: Sections at the top or bottom of a page used for titles, page numbers, or other information.
Tab Leader: A repeating character (dots, dashes, lines) used to fill the space leading to the tab stop.
Table Style: A pre-set format applied to tables to enhance appearance and consistency.
Text Box: A movable object used to contain text independently of the main document text.
Crop: To trim the edges of an image to remove unwanted portions.

Who is this PDF for?

This PDF is ideal for students, administrative staff, educators, and professionals who frequently use Microsoft Word to prepare detailed documents with complex formatting. Beginners who want to learn the basics of document structuring, tabs, and tables will find step-by-step exercises helpful to build confidence. Intermediate users aiming to improve efficiency in document design through reusable content and advanced table formatting will also benefit.

Those responsible for preparing reports, theses, business plans, or formatted communications will find practical advice to ensure consistency and professionalism in their documents. It also suits trainers and instructors who provide Word training courses, offering a structured curriculum to teach essential Word 2013 skills.

How to Use this PDF Effectively

To make the most of this guide, start by preparing your interface according to instructions and displaying formatting symbols to visualize document structure. Follow the step-by-step exercises in order—they build on each other, from simple tasks like inserting tabs to more complex ones like creating reusable building blocks.

Take time to experiment with tab stops, table properties, and graphic objects in your own practice documents for hands-on learning. Use the glossary to become comfortable with key terms to better understand instructions. Revisiting exercises helps to reinforce concepts and improve speed and accuracy in using Word 2013 features.

Apply these skills directly to your personal or work documents, gradually integrating new techniques to improve overall document appearance and functionality.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

What are building blocks in Microsoft Word 2013 and how can I use them? Building blocks are reusable content pieces that may include text and objects stored in the Building Blocks Organizer, including user-defined Quick Parts. You can insert built-in blocks like cover pages through the Insert tab under Quick Parts > Building Blocks Organizer, or create your own by selecting content and saving it as a Quick Part for future use. This feature streamlines document creation by allowing consistent reuse of complex elements.

How do I adjust tab stops and tab leaders in Word 2013? To adjust tab stops, highlight the paragraphs with tabs, then drag existing tab stops on the ruler or remove unwanted ones by dragging them off. You can add new tabs by clicking the ruler at the desired position. Tab leaders (the dots or dashes connecting tabs) can be added or removed by double-clicking a tab stop in the Tabs dialog, selecting a leader style, and applying it. This enables precise text alignment and formatting.

What is the best way to insert and format tables in Word? Tables can be inserted by selecting a grid size under Insert > Table or by drawing custom tables with the Draw Table tool. You can convert existing tabbed text into a table for better data organization. Tables should be adjusted and formatted using table tools to improve readability, including modifying borders and cell spacing as required.

How are headers and footers managed across sections in a document? Headers and footers can be edited by entering the Header and Footer workspace and are linked by default across sections. To create section-specific headers and footers, you need to delink them using the Navigation group. Styles for headers and footers can be modified via the Styles pane to maintain consistent formatting throughout the document.

What options are available for inserting and manipulating text boxes and images? Text boxes can be inserted from the Insert tab selecting Text Box, then moved and aligned as needed. Text wrapping options like Square influence how text flows around these objects. Images can be inserted from file and edited depending on their format. Proper placement and wrapping ensure that objects integrate well with the document's text.

Exercises and Projects

The content includes multiple structured exercises covering tabs, tables, text boxes, images, headers and footers, page layout, and reusable content elements, summarised as follows:

Working with Tabs: Exercises involve inserting, adjusting, and modifying tab stops, including changing tab leaders and updating styles to reflect these changes. Tips: Use the ruler for visual tab placement and validate tab settings in the Tabs dialog box to fine-tune spacing and alignment.
Tables: Exercises cover table insertion via grid selection or by drawing, converting tabbed text to tables, and adjusting table properties. Tips: Practice converting tabbed text to tables for efficient data alignment, and use the Draw Table feature for custom layouts.
Headers and Footers: Exercises instruct adding and formatting these elements and modifying their styles for consistent document appearance. Tips: Use section breaks to customize headers and footers for different sections; update styles to reflect any formatting changes globally.
Objects - Text Boxes and Images: Exercises guide inserting text boxes, moving and aligning them, changing text wrapping, and inserting/editing images. Tips: Practice wrapping text to improve layout flow and ensure images are inserted in suitable formats for editing.
Reusable Content with Building Blocks: Exercises show how to insert predefined building blocks like cover pages and create custom building blocks for repeated use. Tips: Name your custom blocks clearly to identify them for reuse; keep building blocks organized for efficiency.

Suggested Projects:

Create a Multi-Section Report:

Use section breaks to manage orientation and margins.
Insert headers and footers with varying content per section by delinking them.
Apply tabs and leaders for aligned headings and data columns.
Insert tables to display structured data.
Decorate pages with text boxes and images with appropriate text wrapping.
Save cover pages and recurring elements as building blocks to streamline future reports.

Design a Company Newsletter:

Use tabs to organize column headings and article titles.
Insert and format tables to show event schedules or contact lists.
Integrate images and shapes to highlight sections visually.
Use reusable content features to create standard headers or sidebars.
Modify styles for consistent, professional formatting.

By working through these exercises and projects, users will develop comprehensive skills in document layout and content management using Microsoft Word 2013.

Last updated: October 17, 2025