Bullet Time
Microsoft Word's automatic bulleting feature is a definite time saver for creating spiffy lists.
When making a bulleted list, did you know you can control the appearance of the bullets? Use the Bullets And Numbering dialog box when you want to create a new bullet style. Access this dialog box by choosing Format then Bullets And Numbering from the menu, or by double clicking a bullet symbol from an existing list. Several styles are displayed, or you can change one by using the Customize button to choose another symbol. Click OK to exit the Bullets And Numbering dialog box, and Word will remember the bullet format you chose and assign it to the Bullets button on the Formatting toolbar so you can start your next list faster. Clicking once on an existing bullet will cause Word to select all bullets in the list, and you can then use the Formatting toolbar to change their appearance.
Word can also convert any symbol into bullets as you type, using the AutoFormat As You Type feature. First, select Tools then AutoCorrect from the menu bar (AutoCorrect Options in Word 2002 and later) to open the AutoCorrect dialog box. Next, click on the AutoFormat As You Type tab. In the Apply As You Type section, select the Automatic Bulleted Lists check box, and then click OK. Now, you can easily convert any symbol character into a bullet. To do so, select Insert then Symbol from the menu bar. In the Symbol dialog box, choose the symbol you would like to use, and then click Insert. Click Close to dismiss the Symbol dialog box. Now, type two or more spaces after the symbol you inserted, followed by the text you want to accompany the first bullet point. Finally, press Enter, and the symbol converts to a bullet, with the list continuing on the next line.
November 2004
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