Introduction
This book is for users of Microsoft Office 2019 who want to get to the heart of Office without wasting time. Don't look in this book to find out how the different applications in the Office suite work. Look in this book to find out how you can get your work done better and faster with these applications.
I show you everything you need to make the most of each of the Office applications. On the way, you have a laugh or two. No matter how much or how little skill you bring to the table, this book will make you a better, more proficient, more confident user of the Office 2019 applications.
Comprising ten minibooks, this book is your guide to making the most of the Office applications. It's jam-packed with how-to's, advice, shortcuts, and tips.
Book 1, "Common Office Tasks," looks into the many commands and features that are common to all or several of the Office programs. Book 1 explains handling text, the proofing tools, and speed techniques that can make you more productive in most of the Office applications. Book 2, "Word 2019," explains the numerous features in Office's word processor, including how to create documents from letters to reports. Use the techniques described here to construct tables, manage styles, turn Word into a desktop-publishing program, and quickly dispatch office tasks such as mass mailings. You also discover how to get Word's help in writing indexes, bibliographies, and other items of interest to scholars and report writers.
Book 3, "Excel 2019," shows the many different ways to crunch the numbers with the bean counter in the Office suite. You find out how to design worksheets that are easy to read and understand, use data-validation rules to cut down on entry mistakes, write meaningful formulas, and analyze your data with PivotTables and the goal-analysis tools. You also find out just how useful Excel can be for financial analyses, data tracking, and forecasting. Book 4, "PowerPoint 2019," demonstrates how to construct a meaningful presentation that makes the audience say "Wow!" See how to make a presentation livelier and more original, both when you create your presentation and when you deliver it. Book 5, "Outlook 2019," shows you how to send and receive email messages and files, as well as track tasks, maintain an address book, and keep a calendar with Outlook. You will also be delighted to discover all the ways to track and manage email - and junk email - in Outlook.
Book 6, "Access 2019," describes how to create a relational database for storing information, as well as query the database for information and gather the data into meaningful reports. Don't be frightened by the word database. You will be surprised to discover how useful Access can be in your work. Book 7, "Publisher 2019," shows you how to create brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, and other publications with the "print shop in a can."
Book 8, "Working with Charts and Graphics," explains how to present information in charts and diagrams, and how to use photos and graphics in your Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets. You also discover how to create lines, shapes, and text boxes to illustrate your ideas. Book 9, "Office 2019: One Step Beyond," delves into customizing the Office 2019 applications. It also looks into alternative ways to distribute your work - on a web page, for example. Book 10, "File Sharing and Collaborating," explores how to to share files with coworkers and collaborate online using OneDrive, the Microsoft service for storing and sharing files.
What Makes This Book Different
You are holding in your hands a computer book designed to make learning the Office 2019 applications as easy and comfortable as possible. Besides the fact that this book is easy to read, it's different from other books about Office:
Foolish Assumptions
Please forgive me, but I made one or two foolish assumptions about you, the reader of this book. I assumed that:
- You own a copy of Office 2019, the latest edition of Office, and you have installed it on your computer.
- You use the Windows 10 operating system. Office 2019 works on machines that run Windows 10, not machines that run Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows 7.
- You are kind to foreign tourists and small animals.
Conventions Used in This Book
I want you to understand all the instructions in this book, and in that spirit, I've adopted a few conventions.
Where you see boldface letters or numbers in this book, it means to type the letters or numbers. For example, "Enter 25 in the Percentage text box" means to do exactly that: Enter the number 25.
Sometimes two tabs on the Ribbon have the same name. To distinguish tabs with the same name from one another, I sometimes include one tab's "Tools" heading in parentheses if there could be confusion about which tab I'm referring to. In PowerPoint, for example, when you see the words "(Table Tools) Design tab," I'm referring to the Design tab for creating tables, not the Design tab for changing a slide's appearance. (Book 1, Chapter 1 describes the Ribbon and the tabs in detail.)
To give most commands, you can press combinations of keys. For example, pressing Ctrl+S saves the file you're working on. In other words, you can hold down the Ctrl key and press the S key to save a file. Where you see Ctrl+, Alt+, or Shift+ and a key name or key names, press the keys simultaneously.
On a computer with a touchscreen, you can click a mouse button or tap your finger on the screen to do tasks. In this book, the word click does double duty. Click means to click a mouse button or tap your finger. Either action will suffice. To keep from littering the pages of the book with instructions to "click or tap," I just use the word click.
Icons Used in This Book
To help you get the most out of this book, I've placed icons here and there. Here's what the icons mean:
Next to the Tip icon, you can find shortcuts and tricks of the trade to make your visit to Officeland more enjoyable.
Where you see the Warning icon, tread softly and carefully. It means that you are about to do something that you may regret later.
When I explain a juicy little fact that bears remembering, I mark it with a Remember icon. When you see this icon, prick up your ears. You will discover something that you need to remember throughout your adventures with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or the other Office application I am demystifying.
When I am forced to describe high-tech stuff, a Technical Stuff icon appears in the margin. You don't have to read what's beside the Technical Stuff icons if you don't want to, although these technical descriptions often help you understand how a software feature works.
Beyond the Book
In addition to the information you find in the book, I have included these online bonuses:
- Cheat Sheet: Go to
www.dummies.com and search Office 2019 All-in-One For Dummies to find the Cheat Sheet for this book. Here you'll find some indispensable Office 2019 commands for opening files quickly, instructions for putting your favorite buttons on the Quick Access toolbar to keep them within easy reach all the time, and ways to change your color schemes and backgrounds. - Updates: Occasionally, we have updates to our technology books. If this book does have technical updates, they will be posted at...
