Do you often use various unrelated commands when creating and editing files in "Microsoft Word" (hereinafter simply "Word")? If so, your mouse may become obsolete from clicking on all the different menus and "ribbons" (graphic control elements in the form of a set of toolbars placed on several tabs). Rest the mouse and speed up your productivity by creating specific menus according to your needs. This guide will show you how.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Creating a New Menu (Ribbon Tab)
Step 1. Access the "customization" option
- In Word 2013, click the “File Tab”, then from the blue line on the right, click “Options” at the bottom. Click “Customize Ribbon” on the left side of the dialog box. You can also right-click on any of the ribbon tabs and select “Customize the Ribbon” from the pop-up menu.
- In Word 2010, click the File tab, then select “Options” under “Help” from the File menu. Click “Customize Ribbon” on the left side of the dialog box. You can also right-click on any of the ribbon tabs and select “Customize the Ribbon” from the pop-up menu.
- In Word 2003, select “Customize” from the Tools menu, then click the Commands tab.
Step 2. Add a new ribbon/tab
- In Word 2010 and 2013, click the “New Tab” button located below the “Customize the Ribbon” list.
- In Word 2003, select “New Menu” from the “Categories” list, then select “New Menu” again from the “Commands” list.
Step 3. Position the new menu/tab in the list
- In Word 2010 and 2013, click the arrow buttons to the right of the "Customize the Ribbon" list to move the new menu up or down in the list, to the position you want.
- In Word 2003, drag “New Menu” from the “Commands” list onto the menu bar. When you see the vertical bar showing the new menu position as you want it, release your mouse button.
Step 4. Give your new menu/tab a name that is convenient for you
- In Word 2010 and 2013, click the “Rename” button below the “Customize the Ribbon” list to display the name dialog box. Enter a new name in the “Display name” field and click “OK”.
- In Word 2003, right-click on “New Menu” in the menu bar to display the column name. Now, you can type a new name for your menu and press "Enter".
Part 2 of 4: Adding a "Group" in Your New Tab (in Word 2010/2013)
Step 1. Choose the name of the tab you have created in the "Customize the Ribbon" list
You must create a " group " for new commands before you can add them to tabs.
Step 2. Click the "New Group" button under the Customize the Ribbon list
This will add “items” named “New Group” under your new tab name in the list.
Step 3. Provide a convenient name for your new group
Click the "Rename" button to display the name dialog box, enter a new name, and click "OK". Then, you can add commands to this group.
You can add custom groups in any of the built-in tabs as well as custom tabs that you create. One of the uses of this feature is to create a custom group that only includes commands in the default tab group that you use most often, then delete the original group
Part 3 of 4: Adding "Items" to Your New Menu/Tab
Step 1. Select the menu/group you want to add "items" to
- In Word 2010 and 2013, select the group you want to add the items to from the "Customize the Ribbon" list. You can only add menu "items" in groups you create, which can be seen in the list labeled “(Custom)” after the group name.
- In Word 2003, select the menu you want to modify from the "Categories" list.
Step 2. Choose the command you want to add to the menu/group
- In Word 2010 and 2013, select an option from the “Choose commands from” drop-down list, then choose a command from the scrolling list below it.
- In Word 2003, select a command from the "Commands" list box.
Step 3. Add command to menu/group
- In Word 2010 and 2013, click the “Add>>” button to the right of the scrolling list. Use the buttons to the right of the "Customize the Ribbon" list to position the new commands in the group as you see fit.
- In Word 2003, drag the selection command onto the menu that you want. When you see a vertical bar indicating the position of the new command and the bar is in the position you want, release the mouse button.
Step 4. Exit the "customization" feature once you are done
- In Word 2010 and 2013, click "OK".
- In Word 2003, click "Close".
Part 4 of 4: Removing "Items" from Your New Menu/Tab
Step 1. Access the "customization" option, if you haven't already
See the first part of this guide to find out how to do this depending on the version of Word you're using.
Step 2. Select the command you want to delete
Step 3. Remove the command from the menu or group
- In Word 2010 and 2013, click the “<< Remove” button to move the command back to the “Choose commands from” list.
- In Word 2003, drag unwanted commands out of the menu and drop them in the file window.
Step 4. Exit the "customization" feature when you are done
- In Word 2010 and 2013, click "OK".
- In Word 2003, click "Close".
Tips
- Before adding a custom menu or group, take a moment to consider which commands and menus you use the most, and also learn how to use the "Toolbar"/"Quick Access Toolbar" and shortcut keys. These features are more useful than adding a custom menu.
- Ribbon menu settings are possible in Word 2007, but this requires special programming with XML, and existing tabs cannot be modified in any way. The user interface for changing the ribbon menu is not available in versions of Word prior to Word 2010.
