Simplified Ribbons and Quick Access Toolbar in Office 365 (and prior versions too)

There are constantly new updates to Office 365. It's hard to keep track. One of the great features of Office 365 is that new updates roll out without a big release. That being said, sometimes if we don't have a chance to notice these updates, they pass us by and we don't even know to take advantage of them.

The Office Ribbons

The Ribbons in Office are the main way to navigate and utilize the tools in each app. They've had various overhauls in different versions - all to help improve functionality and efficiency. The most recent versions of Office has fairly large ribbons. One of the things that surfaced in feedback, is wanting more space on the screen.

Collapse a Ribbon

One of the features a lot of people don't know about it the ability to Collapse the ribbon. This hides the entire the ribbon except the tab name.

This is how the Word Ribbon normally looks.

• To collapse a ribbon, double-click...

Did you Know Word has an EMAIL Merge Feature?

If you're like most people - you don't.

Most people probably know how to send an email to many recipients by putting their names in a BCC field so they don't all see the individual emails, HOWEVER, did you know, that like a mail merge, you can also do an EMAIL merge?

This means you can create an email in Word, customize these emails with individual fields (that could mean specific data like sales numbers or just a personal greeting) and send individual emails out in a single click.  You can do this for up to 200 recipients.  These emails send via Outlook and look just like individual emails you would have created and sent yourself.

Warning: You don't want to send hundreds or thousands of emails this way because you will get your domain blacklisted. If you need to send quantities larger than 200 - you will need to use a service like Constant Contact or MailChimp or something like that.

Check out the video above but here are the steps.

Print Mailing Labels in Word from an Excel list

Whether it's for work or for personal reasons, odds are at one time or another - you'll need to print out labels with mailing addresses. Whether it's a shower, wedding, graduation, newsletter, business announcement or some other reason for mailing to a group, you probably have or have gathered a list of names and addresses and need to get them into labels. Here's the EASIEST way.

Step 1: Gather the Information in Excel

In simplest form you will gather information into a simple spreadsheet that looks something like this, with separate columns for each piece of information. For example, first name, last name, address, city, state, and zip.

Step 2:  Find the labels you will Use (size)

It's  important to know before you start the size of labels you are going to use so you can set the document up properly. The most common address label to use is a 5160 label size.

Step 3: Create the Word file, Complete Merge and Print

1. In Word, go to
...

Reply with Meeting

I'm on a role for super simple tips. This is another quick and easy tip - but a HUGE time saver if you setup meeting request with people you've been in email conversations with.

Have you used Outlook's Reply with Meeting button? It's awesome. In just a single click - you can respond to an email conversation with a string of people on it - and turn it into a meeting invite. The more people on the email - the more time you are saving. The other cool thing - it copies all the contents of the email into the body of the meeting including attachments. It also transfers over the subject line of the emails as the meeting title.

Scenario

You receive an email with 5 (or any number) other recipients in the To: or CC:  fields. The string of emails now merits setting up a meeting with these same (5) people. If you know this trick  - it's a simple click to generate a meeting invite. If not - you will need to create a new meeting request and add each recipient to the request. C...

Sharing Office Files as PDF's

Did you know there's a 1-click option to share files as PDF's? You don't have to save as PDF or convert to PDF and then share - just a single click.

It's so easy - I almost didn't want to do this tip but I've learned lately some of the easiest tips are the best and so many people just don't know these shortcuts.

Whether you are using PowerPoint, Word or Excel - it is now SO EASY to share files as PDF's. Although this isn't new - I've learned working with a few people lately - not everyone knows this little shortcut.

Emailing PDF's 

Whether you are in PowerPoint, Word or Excel, you can use the Share menu item to email a PDF version of the file in a single click.

1. While you're in the file, click File...Share...Attach as PDF
   
   
2. A new blank email will open up with the PDF version of the file.
   

That's it. SO EASY!! If you send PDF's - this is a huge time saver. I use it multiple times per week sending PDF versions of files and it saves so many steps t...

Save Time in Outlook with Quick Steps

What are the things you do everyday in Outlook? These are the low hanging fruit for saving time. Odds are you file some messages to folders, you create new emails to the same recipients, forward messages to the same people, among other things.

What is a Quick Step?

Quick Steps in Outlook is a new(ish) feature. In a nutshell - it allows you to automate common tasks. In Outlook - you likely have many repetitive tasks. Quick Steps allows you to save some steps with these common tasks and create a one-click button to do these things for you.

The Quick Steps are located near the center of the Home ribbon when you're in the Inbox.

Default Quick Steps

There are some default Quick Steps already setup for users. Some need customizing and some are ready to go without any further information.

Reply & Delete allows you to reply to an email and delete the original one in just a single click. This doesn't need any further information you can just use it...

Using Snip your Screen keyboard Shortcut

Today's Tip is going to be pretty short and to the point but I am positive you will use it and love it! (did you like my alliteration :) )

Do you ever need to copy part of your screen to send to someone or create steps for someone that include screens of how to do something or maybe you are getting an error message and you need to show it to your IT department or programmer.

I use print screens or snip part of my screen almost everyday. Almost daily I providing documentation with screenshots or show a feature to someone via email. I used to just use the PrtScrn button on my keyboard (if you've never looked it's usually either up by your function keys (F1,F2 etc) or if you're on a larger desktop keyboard, it might be it's own key over by the number keypad.  This worked great at first - but if you use more than one screen, you get all the screens which can be annoying. Then you need to crop the part of the screen you want or edit it somehow - w...

Learning Features Like Conditional Formatting

One of the things I have learned about training over all these years on programs like Excel, half the battle is knowing what you need to learn.  Programs like Excel have new features that are constantly being added - yet most users don't know what the features are, much less how to use them. Conditional Formatting is one of those features - although it's been around for a while - most people aren't sure exactly what it does OR how to use it.

I like to put some of the steps together in the blog but I do recommend watching the video - I will go through multiple examples and you'll get a better feel for the features.

What is Conditional Formatting?

Conditional Formatting is when you build logic into your formatting. In simple terms - you automate your formatting. For example - if this cell is above 50 - make it yellow or if this cell contains the word "late" make it red, or if this date is more than 30 days from today - format it in orange...

Whether you are a sales person sharing a Vimeo marketing video with a prospective client or you are hosting an internal training highlighting a YouTube video, you have a need to share videos. These videos are often already hosted on YouTube or Vimeo or some other video hosting site. One of the best ways to give these videos context is to incorporate them into a PowerPoint presentation.

That being said, in all my years of Microsoft help desk support and Microsoft Office training and consulting - I don't get a lot of PowerPoint questions. HOWEVER- there is ONE question I consistently get. People consistently need to insert videos like YouTube videos (it could also be a platform like Vimeo or other videos hosted on various websites) into their PowerPoint presentations.  

So - here's you're how-to guide along with the things you CAN do and the things you CAN'T do when working with a hosted video.

Remember - last week we looked at inserting screen recordings that YOU created - which give...

So. Much. Video.

Some of you told me last week - you want to learn about basic video editing.

Video has become so prevalent when it comes to demonstrating, presenting, training and otherwise sharing information. 

Most of you probably think you need to invest in a video editing program, and if you're like most others, you wouldn't even know where to start. Although there are some great video editing and recording programs, I personally use Camtasia although I've used others too, it may not be necessary.

Did you know, if you have PowerPoint, you can do video recording and editing right in a slide? Most people not only don't know this- but are't quite sure how to use it.

I'm going to break this tip down into 2 weeks. This week - I will show you how to do a screen recording and edit it. Next week - I will show you how to use an online video or a video from another source, and edit that.

I'll be doing the steps in PowerPoint for O365.

Screen Recording in PowerPoint

1. Open a new or e
...