How to Use Microsoft Publisher to Create a Website

You don't need to be a programmer to create an impressive website

Microsoft Publisher has many of the website creation capabilities found in HTML editing tools. Using Publisher, you can add images, navigation bars, shapes and other elements to a Web page. Formatting, color changes and font modification are also tasks that Publisher handles via its multi-tabbed interface. Microsoft Publisher is a true What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) editor. It enables users without programming experience to design, layout and publish websites using a tool that is similar to Microsoft Word.

Instructions

Load Template

1. Open Publisher and select "File," then "New." A list of available templates will appear.

2. Double-click "More Categories" and view the list of website templates.

3. Double click the template named, "Website (tabs design)" to open it. The template will appear as a Web page in in the work area. It will have a title, logo, images, navigation bar and a basic table layout.

Add Basic Formatting

1. Press "Del" to delete any page elements that you do not want.

2. Click "Page Design" at the top of the screen to reveal the page design tools bar. Click any tool to change font size, font name, text justification and other style characteristics of selected text.

3. Highlight the word TITLE and click the "Bold" tool. Publisher will convert the text style to bold.

4. Click "Picture" to open a File Dialog window containing image files on your hard drive. Double-click an image to place it on the Web page. Drag it to move it to any location.

5. Click "Shapes" in the page design bar to display a list of available shapes. Click the text box shape to activate it.

6. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse to draw the text box on the Web page. Drag the text box to the place where you want it to appear.

7. Place the cursor inside the text box and type some text. This is how you add text to a text box.

Add Advanced Page Elements

1. Click "Web" at the top of the screen to reveal a list of advanced Web page options. These options include "Hyperlink", "Navigation Bar" and "Form Controls."

2. Double-Click "Navigation Bar" to reveal a list of navigation bar styles. Double-click a style that you like to place it on the page. The bar will contain default link text such as "Home", "About Us" and "Contact Us." Highlight any text and type over it to change it to a different value. Drag the edges of the navigation bar to reshape it.

3. Right-click one of the navigation bar's cells, such as "Home", and select "Navigation Bar Properties" from the drop down list. A properties window will appear.

4. Click "Add Link" to open the Add Link window. Type in the URL that you want to associate with that navigation bar element.

5. Click "File," then "Save As" to open the File Save dialog window. Enter a name for the Web page and choose "HTML" from the "Save as type" drop down list. Microsoft Publisher will save the file as a Web page. Open the page in your browser to view it.

6. Create additional Web pages as needed using the steps described.

Tips & Warnings

• Continue to layout and arrange the website just as you would if you were using a regular HTML editor. Press "CTRL" + "Z" to restore page elements if you accidentally delete them.

References

• "Getting Started on Your Genealogy Website By Thornton And Marty Gale": Thornton And Marty Gale
• "Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 For Dummies": Jim McCarter, Jacqui Salerno Mabin

Resources

• Alltop: Top Web Design News
• Dummies: Microsoft Publisher 2007 For Dummies Cheat Sheet