Do you often find yourself using various unrelated commands when creating and editing documents using Microsoft Word? If so, you've probably worn out your mouse clicking through all the different ribbons and menus. Leave your mouse in peace and increase your productivity by creating a menu specific to your needs.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: create a new menu / ribbon tab
Step 1. Go to the customization options
- In Word 2013, select the tab File, then in the blue strip on the left side, select Options down. Click on Customize the ribbon on the left side of the pop-up window. You can also right-click on a tab on any ribbon and click Customize the ribbon in the context menu.
- In Word 2010, select the tab File, then click Options, it's located under Help on the File menu. Select Customize the ribbon on the left side of the window. You can also right-click on a tab on any ribbon and click Customize the ribbon in the context menu.
- In Word 2003, click Personalize in the menu Tools, then select the tab Orders.
Step 2. Add the new tab / ribbon
- In Word 2010 and 2013, press the button New tab located under the Customize Ribbon list.
- In Word 2003, click New menu in the list of categories, then click again on New menu in the list Orders.
Step 3. Place the new tab / menu at the position you want in the list
- In Word 2010 and 2013, click the arrows to the right of the Customize Ribbon list to move your new menu up or down the list to the position you want.
- In Word 2003, drag the indication New menu from the Commands list to the menu bar. When you see a vertical bar appear indicating the position of the new menu and the bar is where you want to put the new menu, release your mouse button.
Step 4. Give your new tab / menu a name that makes sense
- In Word 2010 and 2013, press the button Rename located under the list Customize the ribbon to display the window name. Enter the new name in the "Display name" field then press OK.
- In Word 2003, right click on New menu in the menu bar to display the Name text field. Type in the new name of your menu and do Entrance.
Part 2 of 4: Add groups to a new tab (Word 2010/2013)
Step 1. Click the name of the tab you created from the Customize Ribbon list
Before you can add them to the tab, you need to create a group for the new commands you want to use.
Step 2. Press the New Group button
It's located under the Customize Ribbon list. This will add an item titled "New Group" to the list, under the name of your new tab.
Step 3. Give your new group a meaningful name
Push the button Rename to display the Name window, enter the new name and press OK. You can now add commands to this group.
You can add a custom group to any of the default tabs, just as you can add one to your custom tab. This feature can be used to create a custom group containing only the commands you use the most from those on a default tab and you can then delete the original group
Part 3 of 4: add items to a new tab / menu
Step 1. Choose the menu / group you want to add items to
- In Word 2010 and 2013, click the group to which you want to add items from the customization list on the ribbon. You can add menu options only to groups that you have created yourself, they can be identified in the list by the indication "Custom" after the name of the group.
- In Word 2003, click the menu that you want to customize from the Categories list.
Step 2. Choose the command you want to add to the group / menu
- In Word 2010 and 2013, choose one of the options from the drop-down menu Choose from the commands of, then choose the command you want from the drop-down list below.
- In Word 2003, choose the command from the list Orders.
Step 3. Add the command to the group / menu
- In Word 2010 and 2013, press the button Add >> to the right of the drop-down list. Use the buttons to the right of the Customize Ribbon list to put the new command in the position you want in the group.
- In Word 2003, drag the chosen command to the menu to which you want to add it. When you see a vertical bar indicating the position of the new command and that this is where you want to put the new command, release the mouse click.
Step 4. Exit the customize menu when you are done
- In Word 2010 and 2013, do OK.
- In Word 2003, click To close.
Part 4 of 4: remove items from a new tab / menu
Step 1. Go to the customize menu if you haven't already
Check out the first section of this tutorial to find out how to do this in your version of Word.
Step 2. Click on the order you want to remove
Step 3. Remove the command from the group or menu
- In Word 2010 and 2013, press the button << Remove to return the command to the "Choose from commands from" list.
- In Word 2003, drag the command you no longer want off the menu within the Document window.
Step 4. Exit the customize menu when you are done
- In Word 2010 and 2013, do OK.
- In Word 2003, click To close.
Advice
- Before adding custom menus or groups, take the time to think about which commands and options you use most often and also learn how to use the toolbar (also known as the “quick access toolbar”) and keyboard shortcuts. You may find these tools more convenient than adding a custom menu.
- It is possible to customize the menu ribbon in Word 2007, but doing so requires some programming knowledge in XML and the existing tabs still cannot be edited. There was no user interface for changing the menu ribbon before Word 2010.
