Microsoft Word Basics: Create and Edit Documents

Learn to create, format, save, and print documents in Microsoft Word — the world's most popular word processor.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Open Word and create a new document
2.Type and format text
3.Save your document
4.Insert images and tables
5.Print your document

Open Word and create a new document

~18s

Open Microsoft Word from your Start menu (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac). Click "Blank Document" to start fresh, or choose a template (letter, resume, flyer) for a pre-designed layout. The main area is your writing space. The toolbar at the top (called the "Ribbon") has all your formatting tools.

Type and format text

~19s

Click anywhere in the document and start typing. To format text: select it by clicking and dragging, then use the Home tab in the Ribbon. Bold (Ctrl+B), Italic (Ctrl+I), Underline (Ctrl+U). Change font size with the number dropdown. Change font style with the font name dropdown. Use the alignment buttons to center, left-align, or right-align text.

Save your document

~22s

Press Ctrl+S (Windows) or ⌘+S (Mac) to save. The first time, you'll choose a location (Desktop, Documents folder, or OneDrive) and a file name. After that, Ctrl+S saves instantly to the same location. Save frequently — every few minutes — to avoid losing work.

Warning

If your computer crashes or loses power before you save, any unsaved work is lost. Get in the habit of pressing Ctrl+S after every paragraph.

Insert images and tables

~18s

Go to the Insert tab in the Ribbon. Click "Pictures" to add a photo from your computer. Click "Table" and drag to select the number of rows and columns you need. Click "Page Break" to start a new page. You can also insert page numbers: InsertPage Number → choose a position.

Print your document

~21s

Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or ⌘+P (Mac) to open Print Preview. Check that everything looks right — margins, page breaks, and formatting. Choose your printer from the dropdown. Set the number of copies. Click "Print." Tip: Use "Print Preview" to catch issues before wasting paper.

Quick Tip

To save as a PDF (for sharing by email), go to FileSave As → change the format dropdown to "PDF."

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