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Writer is the word processing feature in OpenOffice. This tutorial explains how to use the “Tips” feature, open a new text document, change paper size, change margins, change the indentation of paragraphs, use icons, Close and Open files, Undo entries, and get help.

    1. If on the desktop, click Start >> All Programs >> OpenOffice >> OpenOffice Writer.
    2. If you are in OpenOffice Writer, click File > New > Text Document.
      • In either case, A text document appears on your screen. (The name of the text document appears at the top of the screen.
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  1. 4
    Decide on the paper size that you need.
  2. To use other paper sizes, open the “Format” pull-down menu and select a size of your choice.
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Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Use The Ruler To Change The Indentation Of Selected Paragraphs

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  1. Adjust indents with the three small triangles on the horizontal ruler or use the “Paragraph” window > “Indents & Spacing” tab by double-clicking anywhere on the horizontal ruler.
  2. by highlighting the paragraph(s) that you want to change the indent, drag the bottom left or the bottom right triangle on the horizontal ruler to a new location.
  3. (The “Paragraph” window appears.)
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Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Icons, Click, Right-click, Insert

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The small pictures on the Standard Toolbar and some of the other toolbars are called icons. Click on each icon. (Click means to press and release the button on the left side of the mouse with your index (pointer) finger. Click only one time unless instructed to “double- click”.)

  1. , . Click on the Gallery icon. (The Gallery window appears on the screen. The background changes color when the icon is in use. Some users may see a white background and some may see a blue background.)
  2. (There is no background color on the “Gallery” icon.)
  3. (Right-click means to press and release the button on the right side of the mouse with your middle finger. Click only one time unless instructed to double-click. A menu appears on the page. To close the window, click anywhere on the page other than on the menu.)
  4. (The “Insert” menu appears. This is a list of the various things you can choose to do in Writer.)
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Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

Close And Open Files

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  1. (A menu opens that has a list of words.)
  2. (The “Save As” window appears.)
  3. (If the words, "My Documents", are not already in the "Save in:" dialog box, click the at the right end of the “Save in:' dialog box. A menu will appear; find “My Documents'” on this menu and click it. "My Documents" appears in the "Save in:" dialog box. If the cursor is not flashing in the “File name:” dialog box at the bottom of the “Save As:” window, move the I-beam pointer into the box and click. The cursor is flashing in the “File name:” dialog box.)
  4. dialog box, type the words "My Lesson". In the Save as type: pull-down menu box, click OpenDocument Text (.odt) if it is not already selected. Click on the Save button located to the right of the File name: dialog box. (The “My Lesson” file has been saved on your computer in the folder, "My Documents", and can be opened later.
  5. Click the word, Close. (The “My Lesson” file is closed and is not seen on the screen.)
  6. (The “Open” window appears. If "My Documents" is not already in the Look in: dialog box at the top of the "Open" window, in the list of directories below the Look in: box, click "My Documents". The words, "My Documents", appear in the "Look in:" dialog box.)
  7. dialog box. (The words, “My Lesson”, appear in the “File name:” dialog box.)
  8. which is to the right of the File name: dialog box. (The top line on the screen changes to and the first page of the file, “My Lesson”, appears on the screen below the ruler.)
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Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

Undo Entries

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  1. Word(s), graphic(s), and paragraph(s) can be deleted and "Undo" can be used to put them back in your document. Type the three paragraphs below.
Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

Insert Special Character

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  1. . (The "Special Characters" window appears. You will see two dialog boxes. The one on the left is the "Font" menu and the one on the right is the “Subset” menu.)
  2. Click Miscellaneous Symbols.
  3. Click on the "☺" .
    • The ☺symbol appears on the page.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Getting Help

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  1. (A menu appears)
  2. . (The mouse pointer becomes ).
  3. (A brief description of what the picture does appears on the screen)
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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 13 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 78,525 times.
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Co-authors: 13
Updated: April 21, 2023
Views: 78,525
Categories: OpenOffice.org
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 78,525 times.

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