Best Practices for Word: Headers
Headers versus Large, Bold Fonts:
Headers are used to separate sections of the document. The use of Headers
over just making a font large and bold is that Headers will create an outline
of the document, or an index of the sections when converted through the Accessibility
Wizard. Best Practices for Headers is to use the Header function in the Styles
menu to define document sections. As well, with the use of Headers, formatting
changes can be made quickly and easily throughout the document.
The Styles and Formatting sidebar can be opened to format the document. If this sidebar is not open, it may be accessed by selecting FORMAT from the menu at the top, then selecting STYLES AND FORMATTING. (If you do not see the STYLES AND FORMATTING choice, the menu may be compressed. Select the arrow located at the bottom of the menu. This will cause the menu to expand and show all choices available.) The Styles and Formatting option is also a part of the formatting menu that is open by default in a document. It contains a dropdown menu of default styles as well as current styles used in the document.
Inserting Headers:
Finished Document
If the document is already completed and headers need to be inserted, highlight the text that will be converted to a header and then select a style from the style sidebar. When you select the style, it will change the style type that appears in the top of the Styles Sidebar to show the formatting of the current text that is highlighted.
Document in Progress
While working on a document, Headers can be inserted as information in entered. Place the cursor at the spot where the Header will be inserted. Select the Header style from the sidebar, then type the text. Since it is a Header you are creating, the style will return to the body text style when you strike Enter to continue with the document.
Header Sizes and Tips:
Since Headers create an outline or index of the document, they should be used in an order to represent the flow of the document. Header 1 (or H1) is generally the largest header. Header 2 (or H2) would be smaller than H1 but larger than Header 3 (H3).
The layout of this page is an example of how headers can be used to order information. The title, "Using Headers," is a H1 style. The subtitle, "Headers versus Large, Bold Fonts" and "Inserting Headers" are H2 style. The subheadings of "Finished Document" and "Document in Progress" are H3 style since they are sub-areas of the H2 "Inserting Headers". This is a continued pattern in the styles.
Tips for where to use a header size include:
- H1: Titles of the document. There should be only one H1 in your document
- H2: Main subheadings in the document
- H3: Subheadings of H2
- Do not use header styles for emphasis of a word or phrase within a body of text.
Changing the Header Style:
The formatting style of the Header (or other item in the Styles and Formatting sidebar) can be changed by selecting the arrow at the right of the style you are wanting to change. This will bring up the submenu. Select Modify and the Modify Style window opens. Make changes as desired and select OK to continue. Any text in the document with that style will change to the new format.
