Word processing challenges

The following wordprocessing challenges are designed to flex your wordprocessing skills. The idea is simple: use your favourite word processor to re-create the document displayed in the picture for each challenge

Each challenge provides you with some text to cut-n-paste into your document, but not all the text! A paragraph of each document will need to be typed by you to practise your keyboarding skills.

Note: You can right-click on any image and open it up in a separate window to see a larger version. If you then want to print the image you can then click on the "Download high resolution version" link on that page.

Challenge 1: Basic formatting and styles
Take a look at the image on the right. Your first challenge is to reproduce this document with the basic formatting shown.

Notes:
 * The paragraphs of text are justification on both the left and right sides.
 * Headings should be set using styles (Heading 1, Heading 2 etc.), not by making the text larger and adding bold.

Getting help:
 * You can get tips on basic formatting and styles in Microsoft Word through Microsoft's audio course: Get to know Word: Create your first document.

{{Activity
 * Basic formatting and styles
 * Start up your favorite word processor (such as OpenOffice or Microsoft Word). You should be looking at a blank document.

Copy-n-paste the following text into your word processing document, type in the missing paragraph and have fun formatting!

Katoomba, New South Wales
Katoomba is the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia and the administrative headquarters of Blue Mountains City Council. It lies at Lat: 33:42:41S (-33.7114) Lon: 150:18:14E (150.3039) elevation 1030 metres on the Great Western Highway 110 kilometres west of Sydney and is well known for spectacular mountain views and extensive bush and nature walks in the surrounding Blue Mountains range. Ka-toom-ba is aboriginal for "shining falling water" this name relates to the very high waterfall next to the three sisters.

=== Tourism === Katoomba's main industry is tourism based on spectacular mountain scenery. [The rest of paragraph missing… you need to type it from the image]

The section of track between the Ruined Castle and Mt Solitary is not well marked, and recommended only for experienced bushwalkers. Bushwalkers in the area will be much rewarded as the local geography includes extensive areas of dense sub-tropical rainforest, hanging swamps and a series of spectacular waterfalls (albeit with a relatively low water volume).

==== History ==== Katoomba and nearby Medlow Bath were first developed as tourist destinations towards the end of the 19th century when a series of grand hotels, notably the Carrington and the Belgravia (later the Hydro Majestic) were built and then repeatedly extended. The Paragon restaurant also dates from the same period. Coal and shale mining was also carried out in the Jamison Valley for many years, but the seams were completely exhausted by the early 20th century and Katoomba was established as a resort town. By the 1960s, Katoomba had somewhat declined, and several of its guest houses were converted for other purposes including convalescent hospitals. Some even succumbed to arson. Housing was inexpensive, allowing many young families to establish themselves; many of whom still live there. In the 1980s, the guest houses and hotels again became fashionable and many were restored to their former glories, however since the late 1990s tourism to the area has once again levelled off. Housing in the Katoomba region has become more expensive, but in general housing prices in the district are still markedly lower than those in Sydney.

=
People ===== Until recently the area's beautiful scenery and colourful art-deco style shops and houses attracted an alternative and somewhat eccentric subculture. Poets, artists, environmentalists and numerous eccentric characters still reside there, and the town hosts the well-patronised winter solstice festival, Winter Magic, that features local talent, art and handicraft. }}

Challenge 2: Adding and arranging graphics
Take a look at the image on the right. Your challenge is to reproduce this document with the images and formatting as shown.

Notes:
 * All the paragraphs except the first are indented on the first line.
 * Headings should be set using styles (Heading 1, Heading 2 etc.), not by making the text larger and adding bold.
 * The second image has a caption.

Getting help:
 * You can get tips on adding and arranging graphics in Microsoft Word through Microsoft's audio course: Add graphics and keep them where you want them.

Challenge 3: Headers and footers
Take a look at the image on the right. Your third challenge is to reproduce this document with the basic formatting shown.

Getting help:
 * You can get tips on basic formatting and styles in Microsoft Word through : Microsoft's audio course on headers and footers
 * Word audio tutorials from Microsoft - You'll find everything you need here.

Challenges 4: Creating templates
You are a friend of a local window washing business owner, Sally Fiddlesticks. While visiting one day, you notice that every time Sally creates an invoice for her business, she opens up an old invoice, modifies it, and then saves it with a new name. You decide to help her by creating a document template for her business letters.

Hints:
 * Word audio tutorials from Microsoft - You'll find everything you need here.

Challenge 4A: Tables and hyperlinks
Creating and formatting tables is a great skill to learn, and can improve the presentation of your information no end!

Challenge 5: a table of contents
Take a look at the image on the right. You will see there a word processing document that includes a table of contents that has been automatically generated by the word processor.

Getting help:
 * If you have a scan through the Word audio tutorials from Microsoft you should be able to find two tutorials about creating a table of contents in MS Word.

Challenge 6:
Go to the finish and celebrate

Challenge 7: Mail Merge
For this challenge you will be doing a mail merge for a store with a customer loyalty system. Each customer builds 'loyalty points' for their purchases over the year. At the end of the year they're sent a letter with a gift certificate. To complete the challenge you will need to create a spreadsheet with the following customer data (click on the image for an enlarged version): Once you have the spreadsheet saved, use it to create this mail merged letter. You will need to assign the spreadsheet columns to field names for the merge, insert an address block and put the points field into the mail merge template. If you're feeling creative you could go on to create the gift certificate with a fancy border, embedded image and word art to match.