These are a few tips I've learned along the way to create notebook pages in Microsoft Word...
I have made a number of notebooking pages and uploaded them to my group, and wanted to share a few tips/"secrets" on how to create them for yourself. I have only used Microsoft Word (MS Word) up to this point. However, I know that you can do some of them if not all in Power Point and I believe something similar with Acrobat...if you have the really expensive version that allows you to edit a .PDF file. And I'm sure there's countless others I don't know about.
First, one of my greatest tools in MS Word is the Text Box (found on the "Insert" drop-down menu). Click on Insert > then Text Box. Word will automatically put the "default" box on your page and you can either resize it or re-draw it, but I have had problems if I don't use at least one of the "default box's" corners as one of my corners...I don't know why this is, but thought I'd mention it. The Text box can be moved anywhere on the page after you define it's size. The box will have black borders and white "fill" (the background color of the text box...which means that you will not be able to see anything behind it). Right-click on the border of the text box and then a drop down menu will give you a number of options. "Format Text Box" will allow you to get rid of the border around the text box and change the "fill" to any color you want, including removing it completely so that you can see what is behind it. (For example, if you have a picture or graphic that is partially behind the box and it can't be moved, but you still want to see it). Also from the "Format Text Box" option, you can change the color of the border if you want to keep it, but would rather have it, let's say...Red to go with a Christmas, Valentine's Day or Patriotic page.
Another option on the right-clickable drop-down menu is "Order" This will send that box or shape to the front or to the back...or send it back or forward "one layer" as needed.
In a Text Box, you can put both text and graphics. I personally like text boxes for graphics because they are easy to move around on the page without messing up the rest of the page. I use Text Boxes for both writing lines and sometimes I don't put anything in them, leave the border around them and use them as a place for my kids to draw a picture or glue in an item. (One note...If you need to rotate or flip the graphic, my version does not allow me to do that in the Text Box. I have to put it into the document outside the text boxes, manipulate it, then cut and paste it into the Text Box. Not sure why, but again...I just work with it. :-) )
Another tool I like is the AutoShapes tool on the bottom toolbar. This is good if you need a circle, square, rounded rectangle, arrows, etc... I also use these as borders for Title blocks (esp. the rectangle and the rounded rectangle). They have similar fill options as the Text Boxes, Just right-click on the object, then on the drop-down menu select "Format AutoShape." You can also send them to the back or front to suit your purposes. (For example Title Blocks where My kids will hand-write in the Title, they "go to the front", but when I want to enter the title on the computer, they "go to the back" so that I can see the title through/"on top of" them.) You can also send them forward or backward in layers to suit your purposes. (For example, if you want to use a series of circles to make a caterpillar and have them slightly overlap.) Again, right-click on the object and choose "Order" from the drop-down menu to send forward or backward.
I also use Tables if I need a number of different spaces or a grid-like object. At the top toolbar, click "Table" > "Insert" then you can choose the number of columns & rows, format, etc... You can make it larger or smaller by dragging the tiny square in the lower right-hand corner of the table, and each cell should increase or decrease proportionately based on the size of the table.
One last tip...I find a lot of graphics that I use online by doing a Google Image search (Go to www.Google.com and at the upper left is a row of links, one of which is "Images." Click on this then enter what you're looking for. When you find the image you want, right-click on the image (make sure you get the original image from the website, not the one on the google search page), then choose "Save" or "Save As" and you can save it on your computer and enter it into your text box from the "Insert" menu on the top toolbar(from the "Picture > From File"...ONLY do this if you think you might want to use the graphic again. Otherwise, you will want to right-click on the image and choose "Copy" then go to your Notebook page and Right-click where you want it and choose "Paste," and ...Voila! You have the graphic on your page to manipulate anyway you want it. This is quicker and more efficient if you are only planning on using the image in that one document.
You also want to be careful here...a lot of these images are copyrighted, so you will not be able to share them without making sure that they are "public domain" or "royalty free." You can use them for your own personal use, but if you plan on distributing them, you will need to check into that. (For example if you want to upload a file using them to a yahoo group or personal website..."Free" does not always mean "Free to Redistribute." Better to be safe than sorry.)
The Microsoft website has free graphics that you can use with Word and other Microsoft publishing programs (google search for "Microsoft graphics" it should be one of the first hits if not THE first). These graphics you will load into a "shopping cart" (even though you don't pay for them...it's nice though because you can download a large number of them at once rather than right-clicking and saving them individually). And again...you can access these from the "Insert" menu in Microsoft Word (under the "Picture > Clip Art" option).
I hope this has been helpful and not too confusing. To be honest, most everything I've learned, I've learned from trial and error...or as I like to call it "playing around to see 'what this tool does'." :-) The rest I learned from my husband...and there's still plenty more out there I discover on a regular basis. :-)
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