If one opens a Word document using File>Open one is taken to the Backstage which was introduced in an ‘upgrade’ in 2013. The Backstage looks like this: Most of the time one clicks on ‘This PC’. To avoid going to the Backstage ever again click File>Options>Save then check the ‘Don’t show Backstage’ box: Then putContinue reading “open and close documents in Word more efficiently”
Tag Archives: Chemistry
make your equilibrium sign longer
If you type 21CC then Alt>x the Unicode changes to the equilibrium arrow. This arrow is fine in lots of situations: But sometimes you need a longer equilibrium arrow: To get the longer equilibrium arrow, select a normal one then Home>Font>Advanced>Scale and change 100% to 300%: You can make it longer than 300% but itContinue reading “make your equilibrium sign longer”
list all the keyboard shortcuts
Using keyboard shortcuts saves a lot of time when making Word resources – it’s a lot quicker to subscript a number by pressing Ctrl and = than it is to go to the Home page then click on the subscript button. To get a list of all the keyboard shortcuts on your computer do theContinue reading “list all the keyboard shortcuts”
use Building Blocks to quickly add diagrams, text or tables
If you select any part of a Word document (diagram, text, table or any combination thereof) then press Alt+F3 (or Alt+Fn+F3) the selected area is copied to Building Blocks and you can name that selection in the table brought up. Then in any future document you only need to write the name and, with theContinue reading “use Building Blocks to quickly add diagrams, text or tables”
use a non-breaking space
When you are producing a resource you don’t want a number at the end of a line with its unit on the next line or, even worse, the unit being split over two lines as in these examples: To avoid this, don’t use a normal space between 0.25 and mol and dm–3. Instead use aContinue reading “use a non-breaking space”
add powers to a maths equation no.2
The macro below will produce the powers in a maths equation by making the powers size 8 and raising them by 2 points. To do this, put a ‘z’ in front of anything you want to be a power. For anything that you want to be a subscript put a ‘q’ in front of itContinue reading “add powers to a maths equation no.2”
delete all headers and footers
Here at Southampton Exam Factory we have a lot of resources from an exam board for a now-defunct specification. The resources all have several footers and headers in gaudy textboxes with logos. Nobody cares now which section of the defunct syllabus the resources were created for. The macro below will remove them all with oneContinue reading “delete all headers and footers”
add batch AutoCorrect entries
As explained here, AutoCorrect can be used to type in unformatted chemical formulae which then automatically add the correct subscripts and superscripts, or to type in an abbreviation which automatically expands to the long word or phrase. But it takes a long time to add each entry individually. The link below is to a fileContinue reading “add batch AutoCorrect entries”
add powers to a maths equation
When you make an equation using Insert>Equation you can’t use superscripts to get the powers. If you try to make the powers in a smaller font it just makes the whole expression into the smaller font. My colleague Lara Dune asked me how I produce such beautiful script as: I used to place the expressionContinue reading “add powers to a maths equation”
find the Unicode value of a symbol
As described here, Aula Nerd often wants to know the Unicode value of a symbol. Pressing Alt + X after the symbol will give the Unicode (hex) value. The macro below will give the Unicode (decimal) value – just highlight the symbol you want then click the macro: If you then want to use theContinue reading “find the Unicode value of a symbol”
Chemistry Word VBA macros 