The Microsoft Office 365 family of services provides several useful applications designed for those who wish to create, edit, and publish their content, either for personal or professional use. In particular, four Microsoft Office apps have editing and publishing capabilities: Word, Sway, Editor, and Publisher. This article will briefly explore each of these apps, as well as their usage for editing and publishing endeavors.
What is Microsoft Office 365?
Microsoft Office, or Office, is a family of server and client software, as well as services and applications, developed by Microsoft. Office was first launched by Bill Gates in 1988 and included only Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It has since grown to provide different subscription packages designed for home, business, and enterprise use, with tailored apps available in each plan. Office applications are available for document creation, design, editing, and publishing, among others. Those who work with Office have a centralized, versatile resource that allows them to more efficiently and effectively complete daily tasks, regardless of the industry or profession.
Which Office 365 Apps are Best for Editing & Publishing?
According to a 2021 report, approximately 1.2 billion people in 140 countries currently use a Microsoft Office product. Office is relied on by people of all ages, from all backgrounds, with all levels of professional training. Among its many uses, various Office apps help users with creating, editing, and publishing documents (both in a print and online format). The following four Microsoft applications are particularly helpful for those interested in polishing their writing, publishing it, and sharing it with others:
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processing application that was designed to help users make professional-grade documents, such as reports, letters, and resumes. Those working with this software can create their own documents from scratch, as well as edit existing documents. Word offers several options for enhancing clarity and usage within the app itself, such as a spelling and grammar checker, a thesaurus, a smart lookup option, and a translator. Errors in the body of the text are underlined, and when the user clicks on any underlined portion, suggestions are offered to improve clarity. In addition, users can delete the underlined word and add their own edits in place of those suggested by the app.
Microsoft Sway
Microsoft Sway is a versatile application that helps users make their own presentations, interactive reports, newsletters, visual trip reports, and personal stories. Those working with Sway begin by placing their photos and text into Sway, then incorporate external source material and content, and leave the rest up to the software. Because Sway users aren’t limited to pre-designed templates, they can rest assured that their creations will look unique. In addition, Sway provides built-in design engines to aid with formatting, saving users time. And, if the generated design doesn’t completely match the user’s aesthetics or taste, another design can be applied or the existing one can be customized so that the layout better aligns with individual preferences.
One of the main benefits of working with Sway is that it makes content sharing easy. Sway content can be shared with coworkers, family, friends, and classmates. In addition, those who wish to publish content on the web can do so, and others can view this content without having to sign up, sign in, or download anything. In order to ensure privacy, Sway users can customize their privacy settings so that their content is available only to those whom they wish to see it.
Microsoft Editor
Microsoft Editor is an intelligent, writing-assisting software that is offered for both Word and Outlook, as well as a browser extension. This AI-powered application is designed to help users be all-around better writers. When working with Editor, any issues the software finds are underlined. Users can then click on the word or phrase and decide whether to apply or ignore the suggestion. This app also provides an Editor Score that pertains to a document’s overall readability. This percentage is listed in the sidebar and is determined by the number and type of suggestions, as well as the length of the document. The higher the score, the clearer the writing.
Editor is currently being offered in more than 20 languages. In addition to its ability to edit Word documents, Editor can also help with emails, as well as social media posts on websites like Facebook or LinkedIn, ensuring clarity across all avenues of expression.
Editor makes two primary types of suggestions: corrections and refinements.
- Corrections are typically pressing issues that should be addressed for the document to be as clear and grammatically sound as possible. Corrections include basic grammar suggestions pertaining to issues like capitalization and subject/verb agreement, advanced grammar suggestions (included in the paid version) addressing misused phrases and question usage, and spelling.
- Refinements are more stylistic suggestions geared toward overall document accessibility and clarity (and are offered in the paid version). Refinements include suggestions for concision, clarity, formality, vocabulary, sensitive geopolitical references, and punctuation.
Microsoft Publisher
Unlike Microsoft Word, which focuses largely on textual and proofreading components, Microsoft Publisher deals primarily with page layout and design aspects. With the help of this versatile tool, users can style texts, create borders, and design photo layouts, then email the final product, publish it online, or print it. This makes it a good option for those who need to design publications for work but may lack formal design training, such as small business owners, teachers, freelancers, and students. With the help of Publisher, it’s possible for all users to create professional-grade sales and branding material.
Microsoft Publisher includes the necessary tools to help users professionally design and publish their material. Publisher can create posters for events, newsletters, advertising initiatives within organizations, business cards, programs, flyers, brochures, postcards, and personalized birthday cards. In addition, users can create their own designs, work with existing content, or opt for the provided templates.
Microsoft Office 365 provides those interested in editing and publishing with a centralized family of services that can help streamline this process.
Start Learning Microsoft Office 365 with Hands-On Classes
Those preparing for a career in editing and publishing can learn the ins and outs of several helpful Microsoft apps that are used to create, edit, and share documents. For those looking to master Microsoft Word, Noble Desktop has you covered. Their onsite Microsoft Word classes are a great option for those in NYC who are new to using Word, as well as more seasoned Word users hoping to learn complicated features and functions. Their Microsoft Word Level 1 is a one-day course that covers core techniques and shortcuts, as well as practical Word skills, like how to send mass emails, create labels, and execute effective formatting.
In addition, if you want to work with the entire Microsoft 365 suite, you can also browse approximately 400 in-person and live online Microsoft Office classes in a city near you to find local study options, as well as more tailored learning options.