Pro Office for iPad: How to Be Productive with Office for iPad (2014)

Chapter 2. Using Common Tools in the Office Apps

The four Office apps for iPad have very different purposes and capabilities, but they share a set of common tools. For example, in each app, you can enter and format text, add graphics and shapes, use the Find and Replace tools, and print all or part of your work. There are minor differences in implementation among the apps, but it makes sense to cover the tools together in a single chapter rather than cover them separately for each app.

This chapter uses Word for the examples, because it’s arguably the most accessible of the apps. You’ll start by creating a new document to work in.

Launching Word and Creating a New Document

To give yourself somewhere to work, launch Word and open a blank document. Follow these steps.

1. Press the Home button to display the Home screen.

2. Tap the Word icon to launch Word.

3. If Word displays a document, tap the New tab button in the tab bar to display the New screen. Otherwise, Word should display the New screen automatically.

4. Tap the New Blank Document icon to create a new blank document.

Note The Office apps come with templates that enable you to create various kinds of documents. You’ll dig into the details of using templates in the chapters on the individual apps.

Using the Ribbon

As in the desktop versions, each Office app displays the Ribbon control bar at the top of the screen. Figure 2-1 shows the Ribbon in Word for iPad.

Figure 2-1. The Ribbon includes multiple tabs plus buttons for essential commands

As you can see in the figure, the Ribbon has multiple tabs, each of which contains a separate set of controls. Some of the tabs are static, meaning that they appear on the Ribbon all the time the app is open. Other tabs are context-sensitive, meaning that they appear when you select items that require them. For example, when you insert a table, the Table tab appears on the Ribbon, providing controls for working with the table. When you tap outside the table, the Table tab disappears from the Ribbon again.

Each app has a Home tab, which is displayed at first, and an Insert tab. Beyond those two, the tabs are tailored to the apps. Here is the full list of static tabs:

· Word: Home, Insert, Layout, Review, View

· Excel: Home, Insert, Formulas, Review, View

· PowerPoint: Home, Insert, Transitions, Slide Show, Review

· OneNote: Home, Insert, View

Note You can’t customize the Ribbon on the iPad. But given how straightforward the Ribbon is to use, you may not even want to customize it.

As with the static tabs, the selection of context-sensitive tabs varies depending on the app’s features. For example, Excel’s context-sensitive tabs include the Chart tab (see Figure 2-2), the Picture tab, and the Shape tab.

Figure 2-2. The Ribbon displays context-sensitive tabs, such as the Chart tab shown here, when you select the appropriate object

As well as the tabs, the Ribbon contains a set of buttons that is largely standardized across the apps. Figure 2-3 shows OneNote, which has the most extensive set of buttons. Here’s what the buttons do:

· Back: Tap this button to display the file-management screen.

· File: Tap this button to display the File pop-up panel.

· Undo: Tap this button to undo the last action.

· Redo: Tap this button to redo the last action you have undone.

· Search: (Not on PowerPoint). Tap this button to display the Search field, which enables you to search your document for specific text. On Word and Excel, you can replace text as well.

· Share: Tap this button to display the Share pop-up panel, which contains buttons for sharing the document with others.

· Play Slideshow: (PowerPoint only). Tap this button to start playing the slideshow from the current slide.

· Full Screen: (OneNote only). Tap this button to switch to full-screen mode, enabling you to see more of the document.

Figure 2-3. The buttons on the Ribbon give you instant access to essential commands

To give a command using the Ribbon tabs, you tap the appropriate tab to display its controls, and then tap the control you need. Some of the controls, such as the Bold button or Italic button, give the command directly. Others display pop-up panels from which you choose the appropriate option.

Tip When you need more space on screen, tap the currently active Ribbon tab to collapse the Ribbon, hiding the part that contains the controls. When you need the Ribbon again, tap the tab you want to use.

Naming and Saving a Document

After creating a document, you’ll normally want to give it a name that’s descriptive or easily identifiable. Like the desktop apps, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for iPad give each new document you create a default name, such as Document 1 (Word), Workbook 1 (Excel), or Presentation 1 (PowerPoint). OneNote makes you name a new notebook as soon as you create it instead of assigning a default name.

To name a document and choose where to save it, follow these steps.

1. Tap the File button to display the File pop-up panel (see Figure 2-4).

Figure 2-4. Open the File pop-up panel and tap the Name button to start naming and saving a file

2. Tap the Name button to display the Save As dialog box (see Figure 2-5).

Figure 2-5. In the Save As dialog box, choose whether to store the document on your iPad or on an online service

3. Tap the X button at the right end of the name box to clear the default name.

4. Type the name in the Name box.

5. Choose where to store the document:

a. In the upper-left corner of the Save As dialog box, tap the button for the appropriate online service (such as OneDrive) or tap the iPad button.

b. In the list of folders, tap the folder to use.

c. Alternatively, tap a folder in the Recent Folders list.

6. Tap the Save button. The app saves the document using the name and location you chose.

Note Each app saves a new document using that app’s latest file format. You can’t save a document in an older format, such as the Word 97–2003 format (which people still use to ensure compatibility with older versions of Word or with other apps). You can open and view documents in older formats, but you need to convert them to the latest formats in order to edit them.

Now that you’ve named and saved the document, you can either let the app’s AutoSave feature save it automatically after you make changes or turn off AutoSave so that you can save it manually whenever you want. The apps turn on AutoSave by default for each new document, so they automatically save your documents unless you explicitly turn it off.

Tip When AutoSave is on, the File button shows two curving arrows on the page icon; when AutoSave is off, the page icon appears without the arrows. So you can see at a glance whether you need to save a document manually.

If you prefer to save your documents manually, turn AutoSave off by tapping the File button near the left end of the Ribbon and then setting the AutoSave switch to the Off position. The Save button then appears on the File pop-up panel (see Figure 2-6), and you can save the document at any time by clicking it.

Figure 2-6. After turning off AutoSave, you can save a document by opening the File pop-up panel and tapping the Save button

Working with Text

Chances are that you’ll need to work extensively with text in at least some of your documents. This section shows you how to place the insertion point, enter text quickly, and select and manipulate text.

As on the desktop apps, the techniques for working with text vary somewhat depending on the app. For example, in Excel, you can tap a cell to select it, and then type text into it, deleting any existing content without needing to select it. This section shows Word, which has the most straightforward implementation of text. You’ll look at the differences in working with text in Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote in the chapters on those apps.

Placing and Moving the Insertion Point

To make text land in the right place in the document, you need to position the insertion point between the appropriate characters.

If you need to place the insertion point at the end of a paragraph or between words, you can simply tap that point in the document. The insertion point appears as a blue line, and you can start typing.

To position the insertion point more precisely, or to move it into a word, tap and hold as near as possible to the right place. When the magnifying circle appears (see Figure 2-7), move your finger to move the insertion point one character at a time. You can move up or down from one line or paragraph to the next as needed.

Figure 2-7. To move the insertion point one character at a time, tap and hold to display the magnifying glass, and then drag your finger to move the insertion point

If you’ve connected a hardware keyboard to your iPad, you can use the keyboard’s arrow keys and keyboard shortcuts to move the insertion point and to select text. Table 2-1 explains the keyboard shortcuts for moving the insertion point. You’ll look at the selection shortcuts later in this chapter.

Table 2-1. Navigation Shortcuts Using a Hardware Keyboard

Entering Text Quickly with the Onscreen Keyboard’s Hidden Features

The onscreen keyboard is largely straightforward to use, but it has several hidden features that you will want to exploit to make the most of it. This section tells you what you need to know about the obvious and less-obvious features.

Displaying the Onscreen Keyboard

To display the onscreen keyboard, tap an area of a document or of the user interface that can accept text input. The keyboard at first displays the letters keyboard (see Figure 2-8) unless the insertion point is in an area that accepts only a different kind of input. For example, if the insertion point is in a field that requires numeric input (such as a telephone number), the numbers keyboard appears.

Figure 2-8. The onscreen keyboard normally displays the letters keyboard at first. You can tap the .?123 button to display the numbers keyboard

Note When a hardware keyboard is connected, the iPad doesn’t display the onscreen keyboard when you tap an area that can accept text input. You can display the onscreen keyboard by pressing the Eject key on some hardware keyboards.

With the keyboard displayed, you can start typing text by tapping the keys. To type a capital letter, tap the Shift key once and then tap the key. To turn on Caps Lock, tap the Shift key twice in quick succession.

Turning Off Auto-Capitalization

iOS’s Auto-Capitalization feature automatically turns Shift on for the first letter of a paragraph or sentence. If you prefer not to have Shift automatically applied like this, you can turn it off on the Keyboard screen in the Settings app. Auto-Capitalization is a systemwide setting; you can’t change it for just a single app. Follow these steps.

1. Press the Home button to display the Home screen.

2. Tap the Settings icon to open the Settings app.

3. Tap the General button on the left to display the General screen.

4. Tap the Keyboard button (scroll down if necessary) to display the Keyboard screen.

5. Set the Auto-Capitalization switch to the Off position.

While you’ve got the Keyboard screen displayed, you may want to check your settings for these other options:

· Auto-Correction: Set this switch to On or Off to enable or disable automatic correction of apparent spelling mistakes that iOS detects.

· Check Spelling: Set this switch to On or Off to enable or disable spell checking.

· Enable Caps Lock: Set this switch to On if you want to use Caps Lock or to Off if you don’t. Caps Lock is usually helpful, but switch it off if you find yourself triggering it by accident—for example, when using your iPad on public transit.

· “.” Shortcut: Set this switch to On if you want to be able to type a period by tapping the spacebar twice in quick succession. This shortcut is usually helpful, but you can switch it off if you keep typing periods by mistake.

· Split Keyboard: Set this switch to On if you want to be able to use the split keyboard (discussed later in this chapter) or to Off if you don’t.

On the Keyboard screen, you can also create and edit your text shortcuts. You’ll look at how to use this feature later in this chapter.

Switching Among the Letters Keyboard, Numbers Keyboard, and Symbols Keyboard

The onscreen keyboard has three main layouts: letters, numbers, and symbols. From the letters keyboard, you can tap the .?123 button to switch to the numbers keyboard (see Figure 2-9). You can then tap the #+= button to switch to the symbols keyboard (see Figure 2-10).

Figure 2-9. From the numbers keyboard, you can tap the #+= button to display the symbols keyboard or tap the ABC button to display the letters keyboard

Figure 2-10. From the symbols keyboard, you can tap the 123 button to display the numbers keyboard or tap the ABC button to display the letters keyboard

Note Excel provides a special numbers keyboard to help you enter data, formulas, and functions easily in your worksheets. You’ll meet this keyboard in Chapter 7.

Working with Suggestions

In iOS 8, suggestions for completing the current word or phrase you’re typing appear automatically on a bar above the keyboard (see Figure 2-11). You can accept a suggestion by tapping it. If none of the suggestions is what you want, keep typing.

Figure 2-11. You can touch a suggestion to enter that word in your document

Note iOS 7 and earlier versions don’t have the suggestions bar. Instead, they display a single spelling correction or completion suggestion in a pop-up bubble. You can accept the correction or suggestion by typing a space or another punctuation character, such as a period or comma, or reject it by touching the X button on the bubble.

Entering Punctuation Quickly

The letters keyboard includes keys for the two most frequently used punctuation marks, the comma and the period. You can also type an exclamation point by tapping Shift and then tapping the comma key, or type a question mark by tapping Shift and then tapping the period key.

To access other punctuation, you normally tap the .?123 key, tap the relevant key (such as the semicolon key), and then tap the ABC key to return to the letters keyboard. But you can also type a punctuation character and return to the letters more quickly by tapping and holding the .?123 key and then sliding your finger to the character you want. When you lift your finger, iOS inserts the character and displays the letters keyboard again.

Entering Variant Characters

When you need to enter a variant character, such as an accented character or a related character, tap and hold the base character to display a pop-up panel of the characters available (see Figure 2-12). Slide your finger to the character you want, and then lift your finger from the screen.

Figure 2-12. You can enter variant characters from the pop-up panel that appears when you tap and hold the base character

Tip Characters that have variants include the vowels (a, e, i, o, and u), S, C, N, Y, Z, comma, period, hyphen, forward slash (/), question mark, exclamation point, single quote, double quote, ampersand (&), $, 0 (zero), and %. The period, question mark, and exclamation point have different variants on the numbers keyboard than on the letters keyboard.

If you need to type in a foreign language on your iPad, you can add a software keyboard for that language. Open the Settings app, tap General, tap Keyboard, tap Keyboards, and then tap Add New Keyboard. The software keyboard for a language may lay out the characters differently and may make other variant characters available.

Undocking and Split t ing the Onscreen Keyboard

By default, the onscreen keyboard appears at the bottom of the screen in whichever orientation you’re holding your iPad. When the iPad is in landscape orientation, the keys appear at a larger size, but you can see less of the document; when the iPad is in portrait orientation, you can see more of the document, but the keyboard is correspondingly smaller.

The keyboard’s position at the bottom of the screen is called having the keyboard docked. You can undock the keyboard so that you can move it up the screen to wherever you find more convenient. And you can split the keyboard into left and right halves so that you can type with your thumbs while holding the iPad with both hands.

To undock or split the keyboard, tap and hold the button in its lower-right corner, the same button you tap to hide the keyboard. When the pop-up menu opens (see Figure 2-13), tap the Undock button to undock the keyboard, leaving it in a single piece, or tap the Split button to split the keyboard into halves.

Figure 2-13. To undock or split the onscreen keyboard, tap and hold the button in the lower-right corner, and then tap the Undock button or the Split button on the pop-up menu

Whether you undock the keyboard or split it (as shown in Figure 2-14), you can move it up or down the screen by dragging the button in the lower-right corner.

Figure 2-14. You can move the split keyboard up or down the screen to the position you find most comfortable

Tip After splitting the onscreen keyboard, you can type some of the letters in the middle by touching “ghost” keys. Tap just to the right of the T key to type Y, or tap just to the left of the Y key to type T; tap to the right of the G key to type H, or tap to the left of the H key to type G; tap to the right of the V key to type B, or tap to the left of the B key to type V. This move also works on the numeric and symbol keyboards.

When you want to merge the split keyboard back together, dock the floating keyboard, or both, tap and hold the button in the lower-right corner, and then tap the Dock button or the Dock and Merge button on the pop-up menu.

Tip To merge and dock the keyboard, you can also simply drag the button in the lower-right corner until the keyboard reaches the bottom of the screen; at that point, iOS merges and docks it automatically.

Entering Text via Dictation

You can enter text in the Office apps by tapping the microphone button to the left of the spacebar on the onscreen keyboard, dictating the text, and then tapping the Done button. Dictation can be a great way of entering text quickly and accurately, provided that you’re somewhere you can speak to your iPad without sharing secrets or disturbing others.

The iPad’s built-in microphone does a fair job of capturing audio, but you’ll normally get more accurate results by using a headset microphone.

Note Dictation requires an Internet connection to pass your spoken input to Apple’s servers and to return their interpretation of it. It’s best to dictate only a sentence or two at a time, but you’ll soon notice if you’re trying to dictate too much. Review your dictation closely, because while there won’t be any typos, whole words and phrases can easily come out wrong and change your meaning disastrously.

Entering Text Quickly by Using Shortcuts

iOS includes a feature called shortcuts for enabling you to enter text quickly. Shortcuts are somewhat like the AutoCorrect feature in the desktop versions of the Microsoft Office apps, but shortcuts are systemwide, not restricted to a particular app or set of apps. So once you create a shortcut, you can use it in any app equally easily.

Tip In iOS, shortcuts are text only, unlike the formatted AutoCorrect entries you can create in the desktop version of Microsoft Word, and cannot contain paragraph marks. If you have an iCloud account, you can sync your shortcuts by turning on the Documents & Data option in iCloud settings. iCloud then automatically syncs your shortcuts across your iOS devices and any Macs that you sync with the same account.

Here’s how to create and manage shortcuts.

1. Press the Home button to display the Home screen.

2. Tap the Settings icon to open the Settings app.

3. Tap the General button on the left to display the General screen.

4. Tap the Keyboard button (scroll down if necessary) to display the Keyboard screen.

5. Tap the Shortcuts button to display the Shortcuts screen (see Figure 2-15).

Figure 2-15. On the Shortcut screen in the Settings app, you can create shortcuts to enable yourself to enter text more quickly and accurately

Note On some versions of iOS, the Add New Shortcut command appears directly on the Keyboard screen, so you don’t need to tap the Shortcuts button.

6. Tap the Add (+) button to display the Shortcut screen (see Figure 2-16).

Figure 2-16. On the Shortcut screen, type the phrase for the shortcut and the shortcut that will trigger it

7. Type the replacement text—the text you want the shortcut to enter—in the Phrase box. You can also paste in the text if you’ve copied it from a document.

8. Type the shortcut text in the Shortcut box.

9. Tap the Save button. The Shortcuts screen or the Keyboard screen appears again, and you can create other shortcuts as needed.

Note On the Shortcut screen, you’ll notice that the Shortcut field is marked “Optional” before you enter text in it. You can add the replacement text on its own, and iOS will suggest the full word when you type enough characters to identify it. Adding a shortcut like this also prevents iOS from checking the spelling of the word.

To use a shortcut, you simply type its shortcut text. In iOS 8, the replacement text (or that part of it that will fit) appears on the suggestions bar (see Figure 2-17); tap the button to insert the text. In iOS 7, a pop-up bubble appears showing the replacement text for the shortcut. Tap the spacebar or type a punctuation character to enter the replacement text. If you trigger a shortcut by accident, tap the X button at the right end of the pop-up bubble to prevent iOS from entering the replacement text.

Figure 2-17. You can enter a shortcut in any app that accepts text input by typing the shortcut text and then tapping the button showing replacement text on the suggestions bar

Entering Text via Optical Character Recognition

Another way of entering text is by using your optical character recognition (OCR) on either a photo that you take with your iPad’s camera or an existing picture. Neither the Office apps nor the iPad have built-in OCR, but you can easily add OCR to your iPad by installing a third-party app.Here are four examples:

· Evernote. The widely used note-taking app includes OCR capabilities. Evernote is free, but you have to pay for some service plans.

· OCR Scanner. This scanning app has a free version that gives you five daily credits and offers in-app purchases for further credits.

· Prizmo. This heavy-duty scanning app has strong OCR capabilities. It costs $9.99.

· Scanner Pro. This is a scanning and OCR app that costs $6.99.

After using OCR to get the text from a picture, you can copy the text and paste it into a document.

Selecting Text

To select text, double-tap a word to select it. iOS displays selection handles at the beginning and end of the selection and displays the Edit menu, a pop-up toolbar containing buttons such as Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete (see Figure 2-18). You can then drag the selection handles to the appropriate points in the text. You can drag the selection handles up and down as well as left and right, but you cannot make them pass each other.

Figure 2-18. To make a selection, double-tap a word, and then drag the selection handles to the appropriate points

If you connect a hardware keyboard, you can select text by using standard keyboard shortcuts. Table 2-2 shows the most widely useful selection shortcuts.

Table 2-2. Selection Shortcuts Using a Hardware Keyboard

Using Cut, Copy, and Paste

To use Cut, Copy, and Paste, first select the text as described in the previous section, and then tap the Cut button or the Copy button on the Edit menu. Both cutting and copying place the text on the clipboard, a shared memory area for transferring data between apps; cutting removes the text from the document, whereas copying does not.

To paste in the item you’ve cut or copied, tap to place the insertion point in the appropriate place in the document; if necessary, tap and hold to display the magnifying glass, and then drag the insertion point to where you want the pasted item to land. You can then tap the Paste button on the Edit menu to paste in the text.

Deleting Text

You can delete text by placing the insertion point to its right and then tapping the Delete button. The app deletes the first few characters individually, and then speeds up if you hold your finger on the Delete button, enabling you to delete characters and words rapidly.

You can also delete text by selecting it and then tapping the Delete button. Or if you want to replace some text with other text, select the existing text, and then start typing the new text over it.

Another option is to select text and then tap the Cut button to cut it from the document. Cutting the text like this places the text on the Clipboard, from which you can insert it in a document. Or you can just leave the text there until you copy or cut something else, at which point the text gets deleted.

Connecting a Hardware Keyboard

The iPad’s on-screen keyboard is as good as Apple has been able to make it, but it still can’t compare with a physical keyboard, especially if you are a touch-typist. So when you need to work extensively—or rapidly—with text, you may want to connect a physical keyboard to your iPad.

You can connect a physical keyboard to your iPad either via Bluetooth or via the Lightning port. If you have an older iPad, you can connect a keyboard via the Dock Connector port.

Tip After connecting a hardware keyboard, you can press any key to wake up your iPad. At the lock screen, you can type your passcode or password using the keyboard to unlock the iPad. If it’s a password rather than a passcode, press Enter to tell iOS you’ve finished typing the password.

Connecting a Keyboard via Bluetooth

Bluetooth can be a great choice for an iPad keyboard because its wireless nature means you don’t have to connect a cable to the iPad’s Lightning port or Dock Connector port. You can choose from a wide variety of Bluetooth keyboards designed for use with iPads, including keyboards built into an iPad case or iPad cover and keyboards that include iPad stands. Or you can simply connect a general-purpose Bluetooth keyboard to your iPad.

Note When evaluating hardware keyboards for use with your iPad, see which dedicated keys each keyboard offers. For example, some hardware keyboards include dedicated keys for controlling media playback and for actions such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo, and Redo, which can help you produce accurate work more quickly.

Here’s how to connect a keyboard via Bluetooth.

1. Press the Home button to display the Home screen.

2. Tap the Settings icon to open the Settings app.

3. Tap Bluetooth in the left column to display the Bluetooth screen.

4. If the Bluetooth switch is set to the Off position, tap it and set it to the On position.

5. Turn on the Bluetooth keyboard.

6. Make the Bluetooth keyboard discoverable. Usually, you press a button to do this. The keyboard then appears in the Devices list on your iPad, listed as Not Paired (see Figure 2-19).

Figure 2-19. On the Bluetooth screen in the Settings app, set the Bluetooth switch to On, and then tap the button for the keyboard you want to pair

7. In the Devices list, tap the button for the keyboard. The Bluetooth Pairing Request dialog box opens (see Figure 2-20), showing the code you must enter to confirm the pairing request.

Figure 2-20. When the Bluetooth Pairing Request dialog box opens, type the code on the keyboard to confirm the pairing request, and then press Return or Enter

8. Type the code on the keyboard and press Return or Enter. The keyboard then appears as Connected in the Devices list.

You can now start using the keyboard.

Tip Remember to keep your Bluetooth keyboard charged so that you can start using it at a moment’s notice. If you use the keyboard only once it a while, it’s all too easy to forget to charge it. And when you’re not using a Bluetooth keyboard or other Bluetooth accessories (such as speakers), consider turning off Bluetooth on your iPad to prolong the runtime on the battery. The quick way to turn off Bluetooth is to swipe up from the bottom of the screen and then tap the Bluetooth icon in Control Center; if you prefer, you can use the Bluetooth screen in the Settings app.

Connecting a Keyboard via a Cable

Instead of using Bluetooth, you can connect a hardware keyboard to your iPad’s Lightning port; on an older iPad, you can connect the keyboard to the Dock Connector port. You can buy various keyboards designed for use with the iPad models. Some of these keyboards include a stand for holding the iPad, whereas others leave the arrangements for positioning the iPad up to you.

Tip You can connect most USB keyboards to a Lightning-equipped iPad by using the Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter. For an older iPad with the Dock Connector port, use the Camera Connector that comes in the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit. You can buy these items from the Apple Store (http://store.apple.com) or other online stores. USB keyboards that require extra power, such as those with backlit keys, may not work.

Changing the Keyboard Layout for a Hardware Keyboard

After connecting a hardware keyboard, you can change the layout the iPad uses for it. For example, if you prefer the Dvorak keyboard layout, you can set the iPad to interpret the hardware keyboard’s input as Dvorak.

Follow these steps to change the keyboard layout.

1. Press the Home button to display the Home screen.

2. Tap Settings to open the Settings app.

3. Tap General to display the General screen.

4. Tap International to display the International screen.

5. Tap Keyboards to display the Keyboards screen.

6. Tap the button for your language—for example, the English button. A screen with the same name as the button appears.

7. In the Choose a Hardware Keyboard Layout section, tap the layout you want, such as Dvorak.

Positioning Graphics, Shapes, and Other Objects

The Office apps enable you to insert tables, pictures, shapes, and text boxes in your documents. These objects have different contents and properties, but you position and resize them in largely the same way.

Understanding How You Position Graphical Objects

Even though an Office document appears to be flat, it actually consists of multiple separate layers. Until you add objects to a layer, the layer is transparent, so you see right through it to whatever is underneath. One layer contains the text; the other layers contain graphical objects. Having these multiple layers enables you to position graphical objects either in front of the text layer or behind the text layer. You can also position a graphical object in front of another graphical object—for example, to superimpose one graphical object on another.

Each of the Office apps lets you position graphical objects in the graphics layers, where you can move them freely. Word also lets you position graphical objects as inline characters in the text layer. When you do this, Word places the graphical object just like a character in the document’s text. If you then insert text before the graphical object, it moves further down the document.

Arranging Graphical Objects to Control Which Is Visible

When you have placed multiple graphical objects in the same area of a document (as discussed a little later in this chapter), you may need to arrange the order in which they appear in the document’s layers to control how they appear in relation to each other. For example, you may need to move a particular object to the front of the stack of document layers so that it appears on top of the other objects, or move another object back so that it appears behind one of its companion objects.

To change where an object appears in the layers, follow these steps.

1. Tap the object you want to move up or down the stack of layers.

2. Tap the Reorder button to display the Reorder pop-up panel (see Figure 2-21).

Figure 2-21. Use the buttons on the Reorder pop-up panel to move the selected object up or down the stack of layers in the document

3. Tap the appropriate button:

o Bring Forward: Tap this button to bring the object forward by one layer.

o Bring to Front: Tap this button to bring the object all the way to the front.

o Send Backward: Tap this button to send the object backward by one layer.

o Send to Back: Tap this button to send the object all the way to the back.

4. When you finish reordering the objects, tap outside them and make sure the result looks the way you want.

Working with Graphics

The Office apps make it easy to insert pictures in your documents from the Photos collection on your iPad or from your photo stream. After inserting a picture, you can resize it, reposition it, and format it to look the way you want.

Inserting a Picture

Here’s how to insert a picture in a document.

1. Tap the Insert tab of the Ribbon to display its controls.

2. Tap the Pictures button to display the Photos pop-up panel (see Figure 2-22).

Figure 2-22. Tap the Pictures button on the Insert tab of the Ribbon to display the Photos pop-up panel, tap the button for the collection that contains the photo you want to use, and then tap the picture

3. Tap the button for the photo collection you want to use. For example, tap the Camera Roll button to display the Camera Roll panel.

4. Tap the photo you want to insert. The app adds the photo to the document, displays selection handles around it, and displays the Picture tab of the Ribbon. This tab appears when a picture is selected. It provides tools for formatting to the picture.

Resizing and Formatting a Picture

After inserting a picture, you can resize it and format it so that it looks the way you want. Follow these steps.

1. If the picture isn’t currently selected, tap it to select it. Selection handles appear around the picture, and the Picture tab appears on the Ribbon, displaying its controls.

2. Resize the picture as needed by dragging the selection handles:

o Resize proportionally: Drag a corner handle to resize the picture proportionally, keeping it undistorted.

o Resize in one dimension only: Drag a side handle. The picture becomes distorted in that dimension.

3. Move the picture as needed by dragging it.

4. Rotate the picture if necessary by dragging the rotation handle (the round button with the curling arrow above the handle in the middle of the upper side).

5. Apply a picture style if necessary by tapping the Picture Styles button on the Picture tab of the Ribbon and then tapping the appropriate style on the Picture Styles pop-up panel.

6. Apply a shadow style if necessary by tapping the Shadow button on the Picture tab of the Ribbon and then tapping the appropriate style on the Shadow pop-up panel.

7. Apply a reflection style if necessary by tapping the Reflection button on the Picture tab of the Ribbon and then tapping the appropriate style on the Reflection pop-up panel.

Note In Word, you can tap the Wrap Text button on the Ribbon and choose how to wrap text around the object. Chapter 5 explains the wrapping options.

When you finish formatting the picture, tap outside the picture to deselect it. You can then see the full effect of the formatting changes you’ve made.

GIVING THE OFFICE APPS ACCESS TO YOUR PHOTOS

The first time you tap the Pictures button on the Insert tab of the Ribbon in any of the Office apps, iOS displays a dialog box prompting you to give the app access to your photos. Normally, you’ll want to tap the OK button in this dialog box so that you can use the photos. If you do this, iOS allows the app to access the photos, and the Photos pop-up panel appears, showing a list of the available photo collections, such as Camera Roll and My Photo Stream.

But if you tap the Don’t Allow button in the “App” Would Like to Access Your Photos dialog box, iOS denies the app access. If you later want to give the app access to the photos, you need to take the following steps.

1. Press the Home button to display the Home screen.

2. Tap the Settings icon to open the Settings app.

3. Tap the Privacy button in the left column to display the Privacy screen.

4. Tap the Photos button to display the Photos screen.

5. Set the switch for the app to the On position instead of the Off position.

Similarly, if you decide you no longer want an app to be able to access your photos, go to the Photos screen and set its switch to the Off position.

Working with Shapes

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint provide a selection of shapes you can use to illustrate and decorate your documents. The apps break down the shapes into eight categories—Lines, Rectangles, Basic Shapes, Block Arrows, Equation Shapes, Flowchart Shapes, Stars and Banners, and Callout—to help you find the shape you need. After inserting a shape, you can reposition it, resize it, and format it as needed.

Note OneNote doesn’t have shapes at this writing.

Here’s how to insert a shape in a document.

1. Tap the Insert tab of the Ribbon to display its controls.

2. Tap the Shape button to display the Shapes pop-up panel.

3. Scroll the Shape pop-up panel down as needed to reach the appropriate category of shape (see Figure 2-23).

Figure 2-23. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint provide a wide variety of shapes

4. Tap the shape you want to insert. The shape appears in your document and the Shape tab appears on the Ribbon (see Figure 2-24).

Figure 2-24. Use the controls on the Shape tab of the Ribbon to format the selected shape

5. Reposition the shape as needed by dragging it.

6. Resize the shape as needed by dragging the selection handles:

o Resize proportionally: Drag a corner handle.

o Resize in one dimension only: Drag a side handle.

o Change the shape: Drag a yellow handle. For example, on the curving arrow shown in Figure 2-24, you can adjust the width of the arrow, the arrow head, and the space between the left and right sides.

7. Tap the Shape Styles button to open the Shape Styles pop-up panel, and then tap the style you want.

8. Tap the Shape Fill button to display the Shape Fill pop-up panel, and then tap the fill color to use.

9. Tap the Line button to open the Line pop-up panel, and then tap the color to use for the outline.

When you finish formatting the shape, tap outside the shape to deselect it.

Working with Text Boxes

In Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you can insert text boxes to position text exactly where you need it. Text boxes work in a similar way to shapes. You can format them with shape styles, shape fills, and lines, but you can also apply text styles to them.

Note In the desktop versions of Word, you can link two or more text boxes so that text flows from one to another. When the text reaches the end of the first text box, the next word appears in the second text box, and so on. At this writing, Word for iPad doesn’t let you link text boxes like this. But you can open a document that already contains linked text boxes in Word for iPad and edit the text as needed.

Here’s how to insert a text box, position and format it, and add contents.

1. Tap the Insert tab of the Ribbon to display its controls.

2. Tap the Text Box button to insert a standard-size text box in the middle of the screen.

3. Drag the text box to where you want it.

4. Resize the text box as needed by dragging its side handles or corner handles.

5. To format the text box, tap the Shape tab of the Ribbon. You can then apply formatting by tapping the Text Styles button, the Shape Styles button, the Shape Fill button, or the Line button and making your choice on the resulting pop-up panel.

6. Tap the text box to display the Edit menu (see Figure 2-25).

Figure 2-25. After inserting a text box, use the controls on the Shape tab of the Ribbon to format it. Then tap the text box and tap the Edit Text button on the pop-up control bar to enter the text

7. Tap the Edit Text button to open the text box for editing.

8. Type or paste the text into the text box.

When you finish working with the text box, tap elsewhere in the document to deselect the text box.

Printing from Your iPad

Given that the decades-long dream of the paperless office seems finally to have died, you will likely want to print some of your Office documents. You can print directly from your iPad provided that your printer supports Apple’s AirPrint protocol.

Tip If you don’t have an AirPrint-compatible printer, you can print to a regular printer by installing Printer Pro ($7.99) on your iPad. Alternatively, if you have a Mac, you can install handyPrint (www.netputing.com; donationware) to make printers attached to your Mac available to your iPad and other iOS devices.

Here’s how to print the current document.

1. Tap the File button on the Ribbon to display the File pop-up panel.

2. Tap the Print button to display the Printer Options panel (see Figure 2-26).

Figure 2-26. Use the Printer Options panel to set the printer, range, and number of copies. Then tap the Print button

3. If the Printer button doesn’t show the printer you want to use, tap the button to display the Printer panel, and then tap the right printer. The Printer Options panel appears again.

4. To change the range, tap the Range button, and then use the controls on the Page Range panel to specify the range. For example, you may want to print just the first page of a document.

5. If necessary, tap the + button or the – button to adjust the number of copies.

6. Tap the Print button to print the document.

Summary

In this chapter, you learned how to use common tools in the Office apps. After launching an app (Word) and creating an new document, you looked at how to use the Ribbon; how to name and save a document, and choose whether to use the AutoSave feature; and how to work with text. You learned how to insert pictures, shapes, and text boxes; position them where you want them; and format them to look good. You also learned how to print from your iPad to an AirPrint-enabled printer or to a computer running AirPrint-compatible software.