Whether at home or work, almost everyone uses Microsoft Word. But the program is overloaded with seemingly countless features hidden under a bevy of menus and tabs. So here are a few of my favorite timesavers in Word 2007:

INSERT TEXT IN A FLASH

Do you routinely enter the same information into documents? You'll love Quick Parts. You can add boilerplate text, images and formatting.

Simply select the portion of your document that you want to use as a Quick Part. Then open the Insert tab. In the Text section, click Quick Parts. Click Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.

In the box that opens, enter a name and a description. You can also specify options such as inserting the selection on its own page. Click OK.

From now on, this text is just a click away. To insert it into a document, click the Quick Part button and make your selection from the list. That's it!

INSTANT COVER PAGES

With Word 2007 it's easy to insert a cover page in your report that grabs readers' attention.

Open the Insert tab. In the Pages section, click Cover Page. Click one of the cover pages in the gallery. It is automatically inserted.

The cover pages include graphics and photos. Just enter information like title and author in fields on the page.

You can also add cover pages to the gallery. Select the cover page in your document. Click the Cover Page button and select Save Selection to Cover Page Gallery.

Name the cover page in the box that opens. You can add a description and specify other options. Click OK.

SNAZZY STYLES

Quick Styles save a lot of time in formatting your document.

Open the Home tab and find the Styles section. Some Quick Styles are displayed on the ribbon. Use the arrows to view other styles.

Pick a style to apply to selected text. Want a preview first? Just mouse over the styles. You'll get an instant preview.

You can create your own Quick Styles. Select a portion of text with the formatting you would like to use. Click the arrow next to the Quick Styles. Click Save Selection as a New Quick Style. Name it in the box that opens.

QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR

The Quick Access Toolbar puts frequently used commands in easy reach. It sits next to the Office button.

You can easily customize the toolbar by adding your most-used commands.

Right-click the command on the ribbon. Select Add to Quick Access Toolbar.

For more options, click the arrow beside the toolbar. Select More Commands. In the box that opens, find the command you'd like to add. Select it and click Add. To remove a command, select it on the right and click Remove. Then click OK.

TAP SHORTCUTS

Word 2007 makes it easier to use shortcut keys. You don't even need to learn them.

Hold down the ALT key for a few seconds. Numbers appear by the Quick Access toolbar. You'll see letters beside the ribbon tabs and Office button.

Press the corresponding number to access a command on the Quick Access toolbar. Pressing a button corresponding to a ribbon tab or Office button opens it.

You'll see more letters that correspond to commands. Press one to execute the command.