As you can see in Figure E, I added the boxed checkmark to the library.įigure E Add symbols to the bullet library.Īt this point, you have one item that Word treats as a normal character–the one in the first list. Use the instructions above to select the appropriate symbol.Click Symbol to launch the Symbol dialog.Click the Bullets dropdown and choose Define New Bullet.Not all symbols are in the library, but you can easily add most, as follows:
However, this isn’t something you’d want to do every time you check an item off your list! If you want a permanent fix, read How to control spacing and alignment in a numbered list in Microsoft Word. Figure D Word indents the new checkmark and the list item, as it would a bullet.įor a quick indent fix, display the ruler (on the View tab) and drag the left indent for that item to the left margin. As you can see in Figure D, Word automatically indents the item because that’s the default setting (you can change this setting) for a bulleted list. Select the symbol from either the recently used offerings or the bullet library, as shown in Figure C. (You won’t use this method in Excel.) To use this route, position your cursor where you want to insert the symbol (bullet) and then click the Bullets dropdown (in the Paragraph group). Symbols are sometimes available in the bullet library, but Word will treat the resulting character and its text item as a bulleted list–that might matter, it might not, and it might add behaviors you can exploit. SEE: 30 things you should never do in Microsoft Office (free PDF) (TechRepublic) 2. This method is available in Excel and most other Office apps. You can increase or reduce the checkmark’s size by changing the font size. Word treats this character like any other textual character. Figure B You can use the inserted checkmark as any other character. If Word indents the symbol and the text, use the smart tag to turn off automatical bullets.įigure A Select the symbol. I added a Tab to separate the symbol and the text. Use the thumb to browse through the many symbols when you find the one you want, select it ( Figure A).In the resulting dialog, choose Wingdings from the Font dropdown.If you’ve recently inserted the symbol, it will be on the dropdown–just a click away.Click the Insert tab and then click Symbol in the Symbols group.Insert your cursor where you want to insert the symbol.It’s easy and most users learn how to do this early on: You may already be familiar with entering symbols.
Click here to download the sample files for this article. We’ll work with the symbol characters specifically we won’t use content, legacy, or ActiveX controls. In addition, I’m working with Word and Excel, but symbols are available in most Office apps. Although I’m using the checkmark character in my example, Office has a comprehensive library of symbols that you’ll add the same way.
I’m using Word and Excel 2016 (desktop) on a Windows 10 64-bit system.
How to create a fun Fly In effect in PowerPoint Get lifetime access to Microsoft Office 2021 for just $50 In this article, I’ll illustrate how easy it is to add these visual tools to a document by adding checkmarks to a simple to-do list. They add functionality in a visual way, and fortunately, they’re easy to insert. Symbols, or icons, are everywhere, from menus to legal documents–they’re even in ordinary documents now. Use these five easy methods to add important symbols to your work. 5 ways to insert a checkmark into Office documentsĪdding symbols to a Word or Excel document can lend strong visual cues that text simply can't replicate.