Add Toolbars to Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word, and other Microsoft Office products, feature the ability to customize the user interface to help you arrange the tools you use most often into the most convenient arrangement for you. Microsoft Word 2003, the last version of Word to feature the menu and toolbar interface, lets you customize its toolbars and create new ones to suit your needs, while Word 2007 and 2010 each let you customize its Quick Access toolbar, which supplements their menu ribbon interfaces. The following steps cover how to add toolbars to Microsoft Word 2003 and how to customize toolbars and toolbar buttons in that version of Word, as well as customizing the Quick Access toolbar for Word 2007 and 2010.

Steps

Adding Pre-Defined Toolbars to Word 2003

1. Select "Toolbars" from the "View" menu. A list of available toolbars appears, with check marks in front of the toolbars currently displayed.
   • The default toolbars displayed when you install Word 2003 are the "Standard" toolbar, which includes buttons for frequently used commands, such as "Open," "Save," "Copy," and "Paste," and the "Formatting" toolbar, which features text formatting commands such as "Bold," "Italic," "Underline," and the ability to add bullets and numbering.
   • Word 2007 and 2010s "Quick Access" toolbar takes the place of the "Standard" toolbar in Word 2003, while the buttons from the Word 2003 Formatting toolbar appear in the "Font" and "Paragraph" sections of the "Home" menu ribbon in Word 2007 and 2010.
2. Select the toolbar you want from the "Toolbars" submenu.

Adding a Custom Toolbar to Word 2003

1. Select "Toolbars" from the "View" menu.
2. Select "Customize" from the "Toolbars" submenu.
3. Click the "Toolbars" tab, then click "New."
4. Enter a name for your new toolbar in the "Toolbar Name" box.
5. Select the place to store the toolbar in the "Make toolbar available to" box. You can store the new toolbar in a template or an open document. Click "OK" after making your selection.
6. Select the buttons you want to put on your new toolbar. Click the "Commands" tab, then select the category of button you want. Drag the button to your new toolbar.
7. Click "Close."

Adding Buttons to Word 2003 Toolbars

1. Click the "More Buttons" button on the right end of the toolbar. This button is a down arrow similar to the down arrow at the right of dropdown list fields. It appears only when the toolbar is docked.
2. Select the check box next to the button you want to add on the submenu that appears.

Modifying Word 2003 Toolbar Buttons

1. Display the toolbar you want to modify if it's not already displayed. If you want to make a change that affects more than 1 toolbar, you'll need to display all the toolbars that will be affected.
2. Select "Customize" from the "Tools" menu.
3. Follow the procedure for the modification you want to make.
   • To move a button, drag it to its new location on the same or another toolbar.
   • To copy a button, hold down the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard and drag the button to its new location on the same or on another toolbar.
   • To remove a button, select the button you want to remove and drag it off the toolbar.
   • To restore a deleted button, follow the steps under "Adding Buttons to Word 2003 Toolbars."
   • To change the image of a button, right-click the button, select "Edit Button Image," then make your changes in the "Edit Button" dialog box and click "OK." (This procedure won't work for any button that displays a list or menu when you click it.)
4. Click "Close."

Adding Ribbon Commands to the Quick Access Toolbar in Word 2007 and 2010

1. Click the appropriate ribbon tab to display the menu ribbon with the command you want to add to the "Quick Access" toolbar.
2. Right-click the command you want to add to the toolbar. A popup menu will appear.
3. Select "Add to Quick Access toolbar" on the popup menu.
   • Word 2007 also allows the right-click feature to add any of the options on the "File" button menu to the "Quick Access" toolbar. Word 2010 does not allow the menu items on the left side of the "File" tab page to be added to its "Quick Access" toolbar, however.

Adding and Removing Buttons on the Quick Access Toolbar in Word 2007 and 2010

1. Click the "Customize Quick Access Toolbar" button at the right of the toolbar. This button has a down arrow on it similar to the down arrow to the right of dropdown lists and to the right of docked toolbars in Word 2003. This displays the "Customize Quick Access Toolbar" dropdown menu.
2. Select "More Commands�" This displays the "Word Options" dialog, with the "Customize" option selected. The center pane displays 2 columns: the column on the left displays a list of available buttons, and the column on the right displays the buttons currently displayed.
3. Add, move, or remove buttons or separators as you wish.
   • To add a button or separator to the "Quick Access" toolbar, select it from the list on the left and click "Add."
   • To remove a button or separator from the "Quick Access" toolbar, select it from the list on the right and click "Remove."
   • To reposition a button on the "Quick Access" toolbar, select it from the list on the right and click the up arrow to move it up the list (and to the left on the toolbar) or the down arrow to move it down the list (and to the right on the toolbar).
   • To restore the default toolbar settings, click "Reset" in Word 2007, or click the "Reset Defaults" dropdown button and select "Reset Only Quick Access Toolbar" in Word 2010.
4. Click "OK" to close the dialog.

Moving the Quick Access Toolbar in Word 2007 and 2010

1. Click the "Customize Quick Access Toolbar" button at the right of the toolbar.
2. Select "Show Below the Ribbon." This will reposition the "Quick Access Toolbar" beneath the menu ribbon.

Tips

• While Word 2003 allows its toolbar buttons to be resized, Word 2007 and 2010 do not allow the same for the "Quick Access Toolbar" other than by lowering your screen resolution. All 3 versions of Word do allow their menus (or menu ribbons, for Word 2007 and 2010) to be customized. Word 2007 and 2010 also allow you to import a customized "Quick Access Toolbar" or menu ribbon from your copy of either version of Word to another computer with the same version of Word on it. (An imported toolbar or ribbon overrides any prior customizations, however.)

Related Articles

• Create Paragraph Tags in Adobe Framemaker
• Convert Microsoft Works to Microsoft Word
• Alphabetize in Microsoft Word
• Make Arrows in Microsoft Word
• Customize the Quick Access Toolbar in Microsoft Word (Windows 7)

Sources and Citations

• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291292
• http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/what-happened-to-the-drawing-toolbar-HA010211550.aspx
• http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/customize-the-quick-access-toolbar-HA010362102.aspx
• Rodney Ruff, Omaha, NE; Microsoft Word user (Word 2007 on laptop, Word 2010 on desktop)

See also

• Navigate a Document with Keyboard Shortcuts in Microsoft Word
• Insert a Pagebreak in MS Word Without Formatting Trouble
• Circle a Number on Microsoft Word
• Make a Dash in Microsoft Word on Android
• Make a Newspaper on Microsoft Word
• Use the Thesaurus in Microsoft Word
• Add Backgrounds in Word
• Turn a Scanned Document Into Microsoft Word Document
• Add Columns in Microsoft Word
• Download Microsoft Word

Read more ...

What links here

• Add a Footnote to Microsoft Word
• Redo Typing in Windows