Using Publisher 2019: The Step-by-step Guide to Using Microsoft Publisher 2019

By Kevin Wilson

We’ve all been there before, staring at a computer screen with no idea what to do — don’t worry Using Publisher 2019 is here to help. Written by best-selling technology author, lecturer, and computer trainer Kevin Wilson, Using Publisher 2019 is packed with easy to follow instructions, photos, illustrations, helpful tips and vi

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elluminet Press
• Release date: Jan 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781913151089

Kevin Wilson

Kevin Wilson is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Nothing to See Here, which was a Read with Jenna book club selection; The Family Fang, which was adapted into an acclaimed film starring Nicole Kidman and Jason Bateman; and Perfect Little World; as well as the story collections Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, winner of the Shirley Jackson Award; and Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine. His fiction has appeared in Ploughshares, Southern Review, One Story, A Public Space, and Best American Short Stories. He lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, with his wife and two sons.

Book preview

About the Author

With over 15 years’ experience in the computer industry, Kevin Wilson has made a career out of technology and showing others how to use it. After earning a master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, and multimedia systems, Kevin has held various positions in the IT industry including graphic & web design, building & managing corporate networks, training, and IT support.

He currently serves as Elluminet Press Ltd’s senior writer and director, he periodically teaches computer science at college in South Africa and serves as an IT trainer in England. His books have become a valuable resource among the students in England, South Africa and our partners in the United States.

Kevin’s motto is clear: If you can’t explain something simply, then you haven’t understood it well enough. To that end, he has created the Exploring Technology Series, in which he breaks down complex technological subjects into smaller, easy-to-follow steps that students and ordinary computer users can put into practice.

Table of Contents

Microsoft Publisher 14

Getting around Publisher 16

Getting Started 16

Create a Shortcut 17

The Ribbon Menus 19

Home Ribbon 19

Insert Ribbon 19

Page Design Ribbon 20

Mailings Ribbon 20

Review Ribbon 20

View Ribbon 20

File Backstage 21

Building a New Design 22

Creating a New Publication 22

Size 22

Orientation 23

Margins 23

Open a New Publication 23

The Main Screen 24

Creating Guides 26

Basic Elements 27

Adding a Text Box 28

Entering Text 28

Formatting Text 29

Changing Font 29

Font Size 30

Text Colour 31

Text Alignment 32

Change Case 33

Typography Features 34

Drop Cap 34

Stylistic Sets 35

Ligatures 36

Stylistic Alternates 36

Text Effects 37

Shadows 37

Text Outline 37

WordArt Styles 38

Formatting Text Boxes 39

Background Colour 39

Borders 39

Shadows 40

Styles 40

Manipulating Text Boxes 41

Move Text Box 41

Resize Text Box 41

Rotate Text Box 42

Text Direction 42

Text Autofit 43

Text Box Margins 44

Alignment 45

Line Spacing 46

Connecting Text Boxes 47

Tables 48

Resize Table 49

Move Table 49

Formatting Tables 49

Add a Column 50

Insert a Row 51

Resizing Rows & Columns 52

Merge Cells 52

Cell Border 54

Cell Colour 55

Text Direction 56

Border Art 57

Units of Measurement 59

Points 59

Picas 59

Pixels 59

Other Terminology 59

Leading 59

Kerning & Tracking 59

Pitch 59

Exercises 60

Adding Graphics 62

Adding Images 62

Images from Google 64

Adding Clipart 66

Adding Effects to Images 67

Add a Caption 69

Cropping Images 70

Crop to Shape 72

Adjusting Images 74

Wrap Text around Images 75

Wrap Points 76

Adding Shapes 77

Modifying Shapes 78

Change Colour 78

Change Border 78

Add a Shadow 79

Align Objects 80

Distribute Objects 81

Group Objects 82

Arranging Object Layers 83

Page Parts 85

Borders & Accents 88

Calendars 89

Advertisements 91

WordArt 93

Images Types 96

Bitmap Images 96

Vector Images 97

Image Resolution 98

Common Image Formats 99

Exercises 100

Mail Merge 102

Mail Merge Envelopes 102

Mail Merge an Invitation 106

Using Templates 110

Finding a Template 110

Making Your Own Template 113

Exercises 116

Managing Publications 118

Saving Documents 118

Saving as a Different Format 119

Opening Saved Documents 122

Page Setup 123

Creating Booklets 124

Page Masters 126

Editing Master Pages 126

Creating Master Pages 127

Applying Masters 128

Guides 129

Exercises 132

Publishing your Work 134

Printing Documents 134

Print as Booklet 135

Export as PDF 137

Share a File 139

Resources 142

File Resources 142

Video Resources 143

Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing application developed by Microsoft. Publisher is considered an entry level desktop publishing application and is aimed at home users, schools, and small businesses with in house printing. Publisher is not used for commercial printing purposes.

Publisher differs from Microsoft Word in that the emphasis is placed on page layout and design rather than text composition and proofing.

With Publisher, you can easily create many different types of publication.

Publisher offers various features and tools to create and edit publications such as flyers, banners, greeting cards, posters, and letter heads. These tools are all grouped into tabs in a menu system along the top of the screen called a ribbon.

Publisher uses a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) interface, meaning everything you create on screen appears the same way when printed.