The Mini toolbar is a floating window which automatically pops up whenever you highlight text. Initially all the options it contains are conveniently dimmed. However, as soon as you position the cursor over its controls, the Mini toolbar becomes activated.
It offers a selection of handy options for formatting your text. All of these options can equally be found in the Home tab of the Word Ribbon. The top row of Mini toolbar icons allows you to change the font, size and colour of our text and also contains Word's nifty Format Painter. Word's Format Painter tool allows you to copy the format of the selected text to other areas of your document.
The second row of the Mini toolbar contains buttons for making text bold, italic, centre aligned. It also has options for changing the colour of the highlighted text, indenting text and inserting bullets.
The Mini toolbar provides users with a very convenient way of quickly formatting your text without having to go back to the Ribbon to find the options they are looking for. However, there are times when it can be an inconvenience. This is particularly true when using the very useful drag-and-drop facility within Microsoft Word.
This useful feature allows you to highlight text and simply drag it to a new location. However, what you sometimes find is that, as you are about to drag, your cursor collides with the Mini toolbar and instead of dragging your text you end up changing its format.
As a user of Word 2007, only you can decide whether you like the Mini toolbar facility or not. If you decide it's not for you, Word allows you to deactivate the Mini toolbar facility. Choose Word Options from the Office button. The very first option in the Popular category is "Show Mini Toolbar on selection". If you decide that the you not like the Mini toolbar, simply switch off this option. Now, whenever you highlight text, no Mini toolbar palette will appear.
Even when you have asked Word not to display the Mini toolbar, it is still possible to show it by simply right-clicking on selected text. - 15432
It offers a selection of handy options for formatting your text. All of these options can equally be found in the Home tab of the Word Ribbon. The top row of Mini toolbar icons allows you to change the font, size and colour of our text and also contains Word's nifty Format Painter. Word's Format Painter tool allows you to copy the format of the selected text to other areas of your document.
The second row of the Mini toolbar contains buttons for making text bold, italic, centre aligned. It also has options for changing the colour of the highlighted text, indenting text and inserting bullets.
The Mini toolbar provides users with a very convenient way of quickly formatting your text without having to go back to the Ribbon to find the options they are looking for. However, there are times when it can be an inconvenience. This is particularly true when using the very useful drag-and-drop facility within Microsoft Word.
This useful feature allows you to highlight text and simply drag it to a new location. However, what you sometimes find is that, as you are about to drag, your cursor collides with the Mini toolbar and instead of dragging your text you end up changing its format.
As a user of Word 2007, only you can decide whether you like the Mini toolbar facility or not. If you decide it's not for you, Word allows you to deactivate the Mini toolbar facility. Choose Word Options from the Office button. The very first option in the Popular category is "Show Mini Toolbar on selection". If you decide that the you not like the Mini toolbar, simply switch off this option. Now, whenever you highlight text, no Mini toolbar palette will appear.
Even when you have asked Word not to display the Mini toolbar, it is still possible to show it by simply right-clicking on selected text. - 15432
About the Author:
The author is a training consultant with Macresource Computer Solutions, an independent computer training company offering Microsoft Word Classes in London and throughout the UK.
